- Researchers have located the wreck of the schooner F.J. King, nearly 140 years after it sank in a violent storm off Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula.
- The 144-foot, three-masted cargo vessel, built in 1867, went down on September 15, 1886, while carrying iron ore from Escanaba to Chicago.
- Although the ship was lost to the storm, Captain William Griffin and his crew escaped in a yawl boat and were later rescued.
After decades of searching Lake Michigan’s depths, researchers have confirmed the discovery of the wreckage of the F.J. King, a schooner that disappeared in a storm almost 140 years ago. The find was announced by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association, who credited a team led by maritime historian Brendon Baillod with the discovery. Baillod reported that the shipwreck was located on June 28 off the coast of Bailey’s Harbor, a small town on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula.
The Story of the F.J. King
Built in 1867 in Toledo, Ohio, the F.J. King was a 144-foot, three-masted schooner designed to transport bulk cargoes such as grain and iron ore. On September 15, 1886, while sailing from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago with a load of iron ore, the vessel encountered a fierce gale off the Door Peninsula. With waves reaching 8 to 10 feet, the schooner’s seams split open and the crew was forced into a desperate fight to keep her afloat.
The Storm That Claimed the Ship
For hours, the crew pumped water from the hull, but by 2 a.m. Captain William Griffin was left with no choice but to abandon ship. He ordered his men into the yawl boat as the schooner sank bow-first. In the chaos, the stern deckhouse was ripped away, scattering Griffin’s papers high into the storm before the vessel vanished beneath the waves. Fortunately, a passing schooner soon rescued the captain and his crew, carrying them safely to Bailey’s Harbor.
Preserving Maritime History
The discovery of the F.J. King adds another chapter to Lake Michigan’s rich maritime history, which includes hundreds of lost vessels from the era of wooden schooners and steamers. For historians and archaeologists, the wreck provides valuable insights into 19th-century shipbuilding and shipping routes on the Great Lakes. For the people of Wisconsin, it is a poignant reminder of the dangers faced by mariners and the enduring legacy of the region’s maritime heritage.
Did you subscribe to our daily Newsletter?
It’s Free Click here to Subscribe!
Source: AP News
