U.S. News
Lost Wisconsin Ghost Ship Finally Discovered
Clear Facts
- Citizen scientists located the F.J. King shipwreck off Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula on June 28.
- The F.J. King disappeared in 1886 during a gale while transporting iron ore.
- Brendon Baillod’s team found the vessel after decades of failed searches, using historic lighthouse records for guidance.
The F.J. King, a 144-foot schooner lost for nearly 140 years, has been discovered by a determined group of volunteers and historians near Door Peninsula.
Brendon Baillod led the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association in finding the lost ship, bringing a decades-long search to an end.
“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.”
The vessel sank in a storm in September 1886 while carrying iron ore from Michigan to Chicago, with all crew rescued by a passing ship.
The F.J. King’s reputation as a “ghost ship” stemmed from unsuccessful discoveries, reported wreckage in fishermen’s nets, and even a $1,000 reward posted decades ago.
Guided by reports from lighthouse keeper William Sanderson—who saw masts in daylight—Baillod focused the search less than half a mile from Sanderson’s sighting.
Baillod noted the hull “is remarkably intact,” defying expectations that its heavy cargo would have destroyed it.
This marks the fifth significant discovery for Baillod and the WUAA in just three years, as the Wisconsin Historical Society prepares to nominate the site for national recognition.
A team led by researcher Brendon Baillod found the wreck of the F.J. King, which sank off Door County during a ferocious storm almost 140 years ago. https://t.co/w1THbSeDQ2
— Wisconsin State Journal (@WiStateJournal) September 15, 2025
The F.J. King joins a long list of historic discoveries by Americans determined to preserve their maritime heritage.
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