Ghost Ship Missing for Nearly 140 Years Discovered in Lake Michigan

After nearly 140 years, the elusive schooner F.J. King has been discovered at the bottom of Lake Michigan, off the coast of Baileys Harbor, Wisconsin.

This remarkable find was made by a team of citizen scientists led by maritime historian Brendon Baillod on June 28, 2025.

The 144-foot, three-masted cargo ship, built in 1867, had vanished during a storm on September 15, 1886, while transporting iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago.

Despite numerous searches over the decades, the ship's location remained a mystery, earning it the moniker of a "ghost ship."

Baillod's team employed side-scan sonar technology to locate the wreckage.

They focused their search near observations made by a lighthouse keeper, rather than relying solely on the captain’s original account.

This strategic decision led to the successful identification of the intact hull just under half a mile from shore.

Baillod expressed his astonishment, stating, "A few of us had to pinch each other. After all the previous searches, we couldn't believe we had actually found it, and so quickly."

The discovery is particularly significant given the ship's history.

On its final voyage, the F.J. King encountered a fierce gale off the Door Peninsula.

Waves estimated at 8 to 10 feet caused the aging wooden hull to leak.

Despite the crew's efforts to pump out the water, the situation became dire.

Captain William Griffin ordered his men into the ship's yawl boat.

At approximately 2 a.m., the schooner sank bow-first, with the stern deckhouse blowing away in the storm, sending Griffin's papers 50 feet into the air.

A passing schooner, La Petite, rescued the crew and transported them to Baileys Harbor.

The Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association has now discovered five wrecks in the last three years.

Earlier in 2025, the group found the steamer L.W. Crane in the Fox River at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as well as tugboat John Evenson and schooner Margaret A. Muir off Algoma, Wisconsin.

Baillod discovered the schooner Trinidad off Algoma in 2023.

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This discovery not only solves a long-standing maritime mystery but also highlights the dedication and passion of citizen scientists in uncovering the hidden histories beneath the waters of Lake Michigan.