In 1845 Lodner Darvontis Phillips invented and launched the first submarine on the Great Lakes in Trail Creek at the foot of the Old Lighthouse. Phillips designed his submarines for salvage and warfare. His cigar-shaped design was the forerunner of the basic design used in the first Navy submarines. In 1851 Phillips took his family for an all-day ride on the bottom of Lake Michigan.

Photo: Lou Donkle

Photo: Lou Donkle

Michigan City, Indiana · USA