Submerged steamboat story verified by resident

WINSTED — Last week’s story regarding a planned scuba diving event on Highland Lake mentioned the possibility that a steamboat may have sunk into the depths of the lake’s waters years ago. One Winsted resident called The Journal this week to say the story is much more than a rumor.

Frank Gallo, a longtime activist in local politics, said Tuesday that a steamboat did, in fact, travel between Highland Park and the old pavilion across Third Bay in the 1900s. “In 1907, it sank just north of the island in Third Bay,� he said.

Gallo said many town elders recall stories of the steamboat, which was the primary mode of transportation across the lake for many residents at the time.

Gallo said he wasn’t sure if the steamboat sank accidentally or if it was intentionally plunged into the lake, but he thinks divers have a shot at locating it during Bottoms Up Day, scheduled for  May 16. The event will bring certified scuba divers into town to search for lost items and identify unwanted debris.

“In First Bay, they’re going to find a lot of automobiles,� Gallo said. “They used to have auto races on the ice and some of the cars were lost there.� The expedition promises to uncover memories of days-gone-by on Highland Lake, when there were farmhouses, the Highland Lake Club, the old pavilion and a skating rink.

Highland Lake Watershed Association President Dick Labich said last week that divers may find treasure in the lake, but most of the items are expected to end up going in the trash. A dumpster will be delivered to the event to get rid of scrap metal and other debris.

Labich noted that a scuba event like this has not happened since the 1980s — when one diver found a sword and sheath.

“But the divers tell me there’s not much on the bottom of the lake except a lot of old rusted steel drums, old motors and things like that,� he said.

Bottoms Up Day will mark the 50th anniversary of the Highland Lake Watershed Association. For more information, call 860-738-0167.