LANSING, MI - The state maritime archaeologist will dive for a better look at an old wreck that two Muskegon County men say could be the Griffin, the earliest known shipwreck on the Great Lakes.

"We're looking at having our state maritime archaeologist look at the wreck with the gentlemen who discovered it," Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center, said Monday, Feb. 9. "We've agreed we'll try to find a date to do that."

Fruitport's Kevin Dykstra and Muskegon's Frederick Monroe found a wreck in Lake Michigan that they think could be the Griffin, missing since September 1679.

Also known by the French equivalent Le Griffon, explorer Rene-Robert Sieur de La Salle built and commanded the ship on behalf of King Louis XIV. During its maiden voyage, the Griffin departed from the area near present-day Green Bay, Wis. Carrying a crew of six and cargo of furs, the ship was never seen again.

Dykstra said he and Monroe got the news on Thursday.

"It was kind of exciting to have the state archeologist interested," Dykstra said. "It's just a really good feeling that they're not just pooh-poohing it."

Several things about the ship Dykstra and Monroe found made them think it was the Griffin -- a loose, hand-forged nail found in the vicinity, a formation on the front of the wreck that they say looks like a griffin figurehead, and the wreck's apparent lack of a rudder -- something that matches with a historical record.

Michigan Archaeologist Dean Anderson said he and his team have been skeptical about Dykstra's photography and claim. He said it's more likely the wreck is a boat from late 1800s or even early 1900s.

"I value that (input)," Dykstra said. "Right now, I go either way. There's so many things on it that say to me, 'This is the Griffin.'"

Anderson said he's pretty sure it's not the Griffin, but it's still worth looking at.

"The thing is, we are interested in any shipwreck," Anderson said. "It's still a shipwreck that's on our bottom lands, and we're interested in that."

Stephen Kloosterman covers local government, employment and the outdoors for MLive Muskegon Chronicle. Email him at sklooste@mlive.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+

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