140-Year-Old F.J. King Shipwreck Listed On National Register Of Historic Places

A schooner that sank in Lake Michigan 140 years ago while carrying iron ore to Chicago has been added to the National Register of Historic Places, the Wisconsin Historical Society said.

The 144-foot, three-masted F.J. King sank on Sept. 15, 1886, during a heavy storm near Liberty Grove in Door County, Wisconsin. The wreck was found again in 2025 and is now protected under state and federal laws.

The ship was carrying iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago when it sprang a leak that the crew could not control. The captain turned the vessel around, but it became difficult to handle and rolled heavily in the rough water.

The crew called for help before leaving the ship in a smaller boat with their luggage. They were picked up by another schooner, the La Petite.

The F.J. King then sank bow first, with its masts breaking through the surface.

Wreck remained lost for decades

The F.J. King was built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1867 by master shipbuilder George R. Rogers. It operated in the Great Lakes grain, coal, lumber and iron ore trades.

The schooner had earlier been involved in groundings and collisions that required repairs. In 1885, it was re-rigged as a three-masted schooner, although its ship lines remained the same.

After the sinking, attempts were made to salvage the vessel, but they were eventually abandoned.

Efforts to find the wreck began again in the 1970s. However, there were different accounts of where the ship had sunk. Over the years, the F.J. King became known as a “ghost ship.”

Radar finally located the wreck near Liberty Grove in 2025. It was about a half-mile from the location where a lighthouse keeper had said the ship went down, based on records provided by the F.J. King’s captain.

Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologists then began studying the site.

Ship remains largely intact

The F.J. King is resting upright on the bottom of Lake Michigan, with its hull still intact.

The ship suffered damage at the bow when it sank. Its cabin also came off as air pressure inside the hull increased while the vessel went down. This damaged parts of the hull near the cabin.

The Wisconsin Historical Society said all of the ship’s hull components remain either on the vessel or inside the hull. Some parts are also scattered across the lakebed around the wreck.

Maritime archaeologists and volunteers documented the site in August and October 2025. The site has already provided archaeological information and could provide more information in the future.

Wreck now protected by law

The Wisconsin Historical Society announced the F.J. King shipwreck’s National Register listing on July 29, 2026.

State and federal laws now protect the wreck and its artifacts. Divers cannot remove artifacts or structures from the site.

Removing, moving, damaging or destroying artifacts or the site is a crime.

The F.J. King is among the historic shipwrecks protected in Wisconsin’s Great Lakes waters.

References: Wisconsin History, WBAY