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‘Ghost ship’ that sank 140 years ago discovered in Lake Michigan
Maritime historians uncover the long-lost schooner F.J. King, ending decades of mystery in Lake Michigan
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The wreck of a schooner known as a “ghost ship” has been discovered in Lake Michigan, 140 years after it sank during a violent storm. Researchers have confirmed the ship is the F.J. King, a three-masted cargo ship that sank off the coast of Wisconsin on September 15, 1886. However, Brandon Baillod, a maritime historian, found the shipwreck on June 28, 2025. The Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association announced the news this week, as per the NY Post.
When and how did the ‘ghost ship’ vanish?
The F.J. King was built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1867 and was 144 feet long. It carried heavy cargo on the Great Lakes. On its last trip, the ship was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago when disaster struck. A gale was blowing on Lake Michigan, and waves were almost 10 feet high. The ship was being pounded from all sides. The storm opened the seams of the schooner, and water poured in.
Despite desperate efforts to pump water out, the schooner could not take the storm and went down around 2 am that night. Captain Griffin and the boys survived when a passing boat saw them in distress. They were brought to Bailey’s Harbor, a small lakeside town on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula, where they found shelter after the ordeal.
Decades of mystery
For years, the F.J. King was known as a “ghost ship.” Conflicting reports about its location made searches extremely difficult. Since the 1970s, many shipwreck hunters have tried but failed to find the vessel.
Baillod, however, believed the captain may have been confused during the storm when he reported where the ship went down. He instead studied a lighthouse keeper’s notes and focused on a two-square-mile area. The breakthrough came when side-scan radar showed a large object about half a mile from the keeper’s report.
An intact hull surprises experts
To the team’s surprise, the hull of the ship appears to be intact, despite the heavy load of iron ore it was carrying. Many experts expected the wreck to be in pieces on the lake bed.
“This was a moment we almost couldn’t believe,” Baillod said. “After so many failed searches, finding it so quickly was astonishing.” The F.J. King is the fifth shipwreck found in Wisconsin waters in just three years, adding to the state’s rich maritime history.
Also read: Lake Michigan tragedy: Woman accused of drowning baby as homicide probe continues
FAQs:
1. What was the F.J. King schooner?
The F.J. King was a 144-foot, three-masted cargo schooner built in 1867 in Toledo, Ohio. It sank in Lake Michigan during a powerful storm in 1886 while carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago.
2. Where was the F.J. King shipwreck discovered?
The shipwreck was found off Bailey’s Harbor on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan. Researchers confirmed the discovery in June 2025 after decades of unsuccessful searches.
3. Why was the F.J. King called a “ghost ship”?
The F.J. King was nicknamed a “ghost ship” because it remained missing for nearly 140 years. Conflicting reports about its sinking location made it difficult for shipwreck hunters to find it until modern technology and new research finally revealed its position.
