For 139 years, many tried in vain to find the F.J. King, eventually earning it a reputation as a "ghost ship." But now, a group including more than a dozen citizen scientists and community historians have succeeded where countless others could not.
Wisconsin Historical SocietyA diver swimming above the newly-found wreckage of the schooner F.J. King, which sank in 1886.
The Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA) has announced the discovery of the long-lost wreck of the schooner F.J. King.
The ship, which sank in a storm near Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin on September 16, 1886, had been one of Lake Michigan’s most sought-after shipwrecks for more than a century. This long-awaited find was made possible through the efforts of a dedicated team of citizen scientists and community historians, led by WUAA’s principal investigator, Brendon Baillod.
A total of 20 volunteers from around the Midwest joined Baillod in the search for the elusive wreck of the F.J. King. Despite numerous attempts at locating the ship’s remains going back to the 1970s, none had ever been successful. This seemingly impossible task cemented the vessel’s reputation as an elusive “ghost ship.”
But now, Baillod and his team have succeeded where countless others could not.
The Discovery Of A 140-Foot Vessel At The Bottom Of Lake Michigan
Local lore claimed that various fishermen had hauled up pieces of the wreck in their nets over the years, while a lighthouse keeper even reported seeing the ship’s masts breaking the surface all the way back in 1886. However, the wreck itself could not be found. Eventually, the wreck became so elusive and sought-after that the Green Bay-based Neptune’s Dive Club offered a $1,000 reward.
Wisconsin Historical SocietyThe F.J. King measured 144 feet in length.
But to Baillod’s surprise, his team finally discovered the ship — just two hours into their search.
The WUAA’s DeepVision side scan sonar picked up a large object, about 140 feet in length, on the floor of the lake — the exact measurements of the F.J. King. Shortly after, the team deployed ROVs to get a better look, while the WUAA’s citizen scientists dove into the water.
“A few of us had to pinch each other,” Baillod said. “After all the previous searches, we couldn’t believe we had actually found it, and so quickly.”
For the first time since it fell into its watery grave, human eyes bore witness to the F.J. King.
The Final Voyage Of The F.J. King In 1886
Door County Shore ReportThe F.J. King enjoyed a successful 19-year career before its fateful voyage in September 1886.
The F.J. King was a three-masted wooden schooner built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1867 by master shipwright George Rogers. At 144 feet long, she was designed for the grain and iron ore trades, often transporting cargo through the Welland Canal around Niagara Falls.
Her final voyage began on September 15, 1886 in Escanaba, Michigan, where she loaded iron ore bound for Chicago. Caught in a powerful gale off Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, the vessel took on water as heavy seas strained her seams.
After hours of pumping, Captain William Griffin ordered his men into the yawl boat. At 2:00 a.m., the schooner went down bow-first, breaking apart as her crew rowed away. They were then rescued by the schooner La Petite and taken safely to Bailey’s Harbor.
Wisconsin Historical SocietyThe crew survived the wreck and were safely taken to Baileys Harbor.
Although Griffin later reported that the wreck lay five miles from shore in 25 fathoms (150 feet) of water, Cana Island Lighthouse keeper William Sanderson claimed he saw masts peeking above the water line much nearer to the shore. Nevertheless, the ship’s true location remained a mystery for more than a century thereafter.
Solving The Mystery Of Where Exactly This Famous “Ghost Ship” Went Down
Wisconsin Historical SocietyDespite its heavy cargo, the ship’s hull is still intact.
“We reasoned that the captain may not have known where he was in the 2 a.m. darkness,” Baillod said, “but the lighthouse keeper’s course and distance to the masts were probably accurate.”
Working off this assumption, Baillod and the team mapped a two-square-mile grid around the keeper’s account, and within that zone, they finally located this storied wreck. As it turned out, it was found less than half a mile from where Sanderson described.
“The hull is remarkably intact,” Baillod said. “We expected her to be in pieces due to the weight of the iron ore cargo, but her hull looks to be in one piece.”
Wisconsin Historical SocietyA closeup of the ship’s shockingly intact hull.
The discovery has been reported to the Wisconsin Historical Society’s Maritime Archaeology program, whose staff have already begun documenting the wreck and creating a 3D photogrammetry model. Plans are underway to nominate the site for inclusion in the State and National Register of Historic Places, after which its location will be made public.
This is the fifth significant shipwreck found by the WUAA and Baillod in the past three years, joining discoveries such as the schooner Trinidad and the Margaret A. Muir, both of which are already listed on the National Register, as well as the John Evenson.
“Finding an historic shipwreck brings with it a great responsibility,” said Baillod. “People may not think twice about taking an artifact from an anonymous old shipwreck, but once the vessel has a name, a story and links to the community, it becomes a part of the community’s history.”
After reading about this new discovery, read the stories behind nine of history’s most famous shipwrecks. Then, see 10 astonishing sunken ships from around the world.
