the ship has been solved .
a cargo of farm machinery in november on a special run — the ship normally moved between detroit and buffalo , n.y. — invites a natural suspicion , trotter said .
since the sinking , rumors have persisted that the keystone state was actually carrying military supplies destined for the battlefield .
the ship was bound for milwaukee , wis. , when she left detroit on nov. 8 , 1861 , carrying what was labeled “ iron implements , ” or farm machinery , on the cargo manifest .
“ she was n’t where she was supposed to be , ” said trotter , an avid shipwreck sleuth with more than 100 discoveries to his name .
according to the historical record , the keystone state was last seen off port austin rolling heavily in rough water .
unfortunately , trotter ’s team found an empty cargo hold .
nobody even knew the ship had sunk until more than a week later , when wreckage was spotted off port austin and the keystone state 's wheelhouse washed ashore .
on monday , dec. 9 , shipwreck hunter david trotter announced the discovery of the keystone state in lake huron , about 50 miles north of michigan ’s thumb in less than 200 feet of water .