Discovery of the FJ King Shipwreck
A group of twenty civic scientists and community historians made a significant find when they located the FJ King shipwreck near Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula on June 28th. This discovery wraps up a search that has frustrated treasure hunters since the 1970s.
Brendon Baillod led the team from the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA) that uncovered the wreck of the three-masted schooner. Although the announcement was made on Monday, the actual discovery took place on June 28th, according to reports.
“Some of us had to pinch each other,” Baillod shared, reflecting on the moment with Door County Pulse. “After all those previous searches, I couldn’t believe I actually found it.”
The 144-foot vessel sank in September 1886 during severe winds while transporting iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan, to Chicago. Captain William Griffin ordered the crew to abandon ship when the bow dipped around 2 a.m. Fortunately, a passing schooner rescued the men and brought them to safety at Baileys Port.
The FJ King had become something of a “ghost ship,” lost for 139 years after a series of unsuccessful searches. Even commercial fishermen claimed they might have come across the wreckage in their nets. There were also reports from Can Island Lighthouse Keeper William Sanderson, who noted seeing the mast protruding above the water’s surface. Interestingly, a dive club in Green Bay had even offered a $1,000 reward for its discovery.
Baillod’s success can be attributed to trusting the accounts of the lighthouse keeper, who seemed more reliable than others had anticipated. He reasoned that Griffin couldn’t have pinpointed his location in the dark, but Sanderson’s observations during daylight hours likely yielded accurate information. The wreck was found surprisingly close—within half a mile—of where Sanderson had reported it.
“The hull is very intact,” Baillod noted, with hopes that the weight of the iron ore would help break through the container.
This marks the fifth significant discovery for the WUAA and Baillod in just three years, and plans are underway for the Wisconsin Historical Society to nominate the site for the National Historic Register.
