US EditionElusive Shipwreck Found in Lake Michigan over 100 Years After Sinking
Citizen scientists used side-scan sonar and remotely operated vehicles to locate the F.J. King, a unique Great Lakes vessel that sank carrying iron ore in 1886.
- A team led by maritime historian Brendon Baillod discovered the wreck of the schooner F.J. King off Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin, on June 28, 2025.
- The wooden three-masted cargo schooner, built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1867, sank bow-first during a gale on September 15, 1886, after taking on iron ore bound for Chicago.
- Searchers had sought the elusive ghost ship since the 1970s, using sonar and historical clues including a local lighthouse keeper’s report to narrow the location.
- Baillod noted the lakes offer up to 100 feet visibility and that improved technology, clearer waters, and public involvement accelerated the find; researcher Ric Mixter called the intact hull thrilling.
- The discovery highlights the rich maritime history of the Great Lakes and suggests ongoing efforts and better tools will reveal many more shipwrecks, benefiting historical understanding and citizen science.
17 Articles
17 Articles
Wreckage of 'ghost ship' from 140 years ago discovered in Wisconsin
(NewsNation) — The wreckage of a "ghost ship" that sank during a massive storm off the Wisconsin coastline almost 140 years ago has been discovered, searchers say. The Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association confirmed Monday that the wreck of the F.J. King was uncovered in Lake Michigan on June 28. According to the announcement, the ship was found off Bailey's Harbor, a town of about 280 people on Wiscon…
Elusive shipwreck found in Lake Michigan over 100 years after sinking | News Channel 3-12
By Taylor Nicioli A “ghost ship” that sank in Lake Michigan nearly 140 years ago and eluded several search efforts over the past five decades has been found, according to researchers with the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association. The wooden schooner got caught in a storm in the dead of night and went down in September 1886. In the weeks after, a lighthouse keeper reported the ship’s masts breaking the lake surface, and fishermen caught pi…
Elusive shipwreck found in Lake Michigan over 100 years after sinking
By Taylor Nicioli A “ghost ship” that sank in Lake Michigan nearly 140 years ago and eluded several search efforts over the past five decades has been found, according to researchers with the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association. The wooden schooner got caught in a storm in the dead of night and went down in September 1886. In the weeks after, a lighthouse keeper reported the ship’s masts breaking the lake surface, and fishermen caught pi…
Searchers Finally Locate Wreck of Great Lakes "Ghost Ship" - Archaeology Magazine
F.J. King hull, Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin BAILEYS HARBOR, WISCONSIN—For decades, shipwreck searchers scoured the depths of Lake Michigan off Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula for the famous wreck of the F.J. King, which sank in a storm in 1886. Its remnants had proved so elusive that it began to be referred to as a “ghost ship.” The Associated Press reports, however, that a team from the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archeol…
Wreckage of 'ghost ship' from 140 years ago discovered
(NewsNation) — The wreckage of a "ghost ship" that sank during a massive storm off the Wisconsin coastline almost 140 years ago has been discovered, searchers say. The Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association confirmed Monday that the wreck of the F.J. King was uncovered in Lake Michigan on June 28. According to the announcement, the ship was found off Bailey's Harbor, a town of about 280 people on Wiscon…
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