Order of the Great Fifth Sea – Great Lakes Historical Preservation & Fellowship

Who We are

The Order of the Great Fifth Sea is a private fellowship dedicated to the quiet observation, preservation, and interpretation of the littoral mysteries surrounding Lake Michigan—revered by its members as the Fifth Sea.

Founded in the late 18th century along the western shoreline, the Order operates at the confluence of regional history, symbolic tradition, and field-based inquiry.

What began as a private concord between a small circle of shoreline antiquarians has grown—slowly and intentionally—into a discreet body of individuals bound not by profession, but by curiosity, discipline, and fellowship.

Historical Preservation & Archival Stewardship

Uncovering, restoring, and safeguarding local histories—including shipwreck lore, field documents, personal letters, and artifacts deemed significant to the littoral traditions.

We maintain private field ledgers, oral accounts, site maps, and symbolic translations—records which might otherwise vanish beneath erosion, bureaucracy, or disinterest.

Our records carefully maintained, and our presence subtle by design. Though not public-facing in the modern sense, we correspond with libraries, conservators, and independent researchers whose work demonstrates both care and resonance.

Preservation of Fellowship & TraditioNS

The Order upholds its legacy through the intentional preservation of rituals, language, and customs not subject to public disclosure or reinterpretation.

While the Order is inclusive of all who approach with sincerity, curiosity, and commitment, participation in our traditions is reserved for those who demonstrate the requisite discernment, discretion, and alignment. Overt enthusiasm, while noted, is seldom rewarded with membership.

“Champlain named it la Mer Douce—the Sweetwater Sea—an inland sea in all but salt. A designation we, as modern stewards, recognize as both poetry and fact.”
— Archives of the Order of the Great Fifth Sea, citing Voyages of Samuel de Champlain, 1615

Obadiah Flint

Founder Keeper Emeritus

Thorne and Merrit Denslow

Fieldwork circa 1888

Order Members

Concord Session, Rawley

Concordants

Dinghy, Lake MI

Recent Dispatches from the Field:
Aug 19, 2025 — Encampment at Neshotah
Event logged as Degradation of Littoral Sanctity; shoreline commodification noted with formal consternation.

Aug 18, 2025 — Return of Little Concord
Mini-submersible refurbished and reintroduced; status entered under Instrument Revival.

Aug 12, 2025 — Detectron Model 7-T
Transistorized detector trialed; recoveries logged under Cutting-Edge Apparatus (Retroactive).
July 18, 2025 — Point Beach Find
Rusted nail reclassified as artifact under review (Ref. #2154-L).

Great Lakes Heritage & Records Gold Member 1975-82

TThe Hollow Compass™ and In Pursuit of the Fifth Sea™ are distinctive emblems and protected marks of the Order of the Great Fifth Sea. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or misrepresentation of these symbols—whether physical, digital, or symbolic—is strictly discouraged and may be subject to internal review or archival notation.

All rites, insignias, field designations, and affiliated nomenclature remain the intellectual and ceremonial property of the Order. Recognition does not imply access.

© MMXXV The Order of the Great Fifth Sea. All observations reserved: The Order acknowledges that portions of its recorded history may be the product of creative reconstruction, allegorical framing, or deliberate embellishment for purposes of literary enrichment; All names, events, and accounts are fictional. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.