Researchers find ghost ship wreck of the F.J. King in Lake Michigan

In the United States, after years of extensive searching, researchers have made a significant discovery in Lake Michigan: the shipwreck of the F.J. King, a cargo schooner that sank almost 140 years ago. The Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association announced the finding, which was led by researcher Brandon Baillod on June 28, 2025. The vessel was located off Bailey's Harbor on Wisconsin's Door Peninsula, an area notorious for its shipwrecks due to treacherous waters. The F.J. King was built in 1867 in Toledo, Ohio, and was specifically designed for the transportation of grain and iron ore. On September 15, 1886, during a storm, the vessel encountered severe weather conditions with waves reaching heights of 8 to 10 feet. The gale caused significant damage, rupturing the hull of the ship. Captain William Griffin and his crew attempted to save the ship, pumping water for hours before ultimately abandoning it. They were rescued by another passing schooner, but the F.J. King sank bow-first, becoming one of the many ghost ships lost to the depths of the lake. For decades, the search for the F.J. King faced numerous challenges, primarily due to conflicting reports regarding its final location. Captain Griffin believed the ship sank approximately five miles off Bailey's Harbor, whereas a lighthouse keeper claimed to have seen the masts closer to shore. Shipwreck hunters combed the area without success, leading the F.J. King to be characterized as a ghost ship despite the extensive effort dedicated to finding it. Brandon Baillod devised a systematic search strategy, creating a 2-square-mile grid around the area suggested by the lighthouse keeper's account. Using side-scan radar, the team identified an object measuring around 140 feet in length, just under half a mile from the reported sighting. The discovery surprised the research team as they anticipated finding the ship in a fragmented state due to the nature of its cargo and the conditions it faced during its sinking. Fortunately, the hull of the F.J. King appears to be intact, misleading appearances and concluding an arduous quest that began in the 1970s.