Lake Erie is a region abundant in historical and cultural significance, where the relationship between human activities and the maritime environment has shaped its identity, creating a profound sense of meaning and place. This connection is expressed and preserved in a diverse array of maritime cultural resources, ranging from revered sacred places and cultural practices to iconic lighthouses and historic shipwrecks. Together, these elements form a vibrant maritime cultural landscape.

During the mid-19th century, Lake Erie was one of the busiest inland waterways, hosting a thriving hub of human activity. Pennsylvania played a vital role during this era, supporting the largest commercial fishing fleet on the Great Lakes, witnessing early shipbuilding ventures, and housing significant naval shipyards during the War of 1812. The area currently under consideration for sanctuary designation represents nearly every vessel type that operated on the Great Lakes throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Based on historical records, 196 vessels may have sunk within the Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie, with 35 of these shipwrecks identified to date. Spanning from the 1838 steamboat Chesapeake to speedboats, tugs, barges, and workboats lost before 1940, this diverse collection includes schooners, brigs, barks, barges, schooner barges, dredges, sand suckers, fishing tugs, trawlers, sidewheel steamboats, and propellers.

If designated, NOAA’s activities would complement the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s efforts to preserve and interpret the area’s importance, including its collection of nationally significant historic shipwrecks and other underwater cultural resources. Furthermore, this area holds the potential for submerged prehistoric sites and historic properties that carry immense religious and cultural significance to Indigenous nations and tribes, further enriching the historical and cultural fabric of Lake Erie.