Elusive shipwreck found on bottom of Lake Michigan after 139 years

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BAILEYS HARBOR, Wis. - After more than a century at the bottom of Lake Michigan, an elusive shipwreck has been found, according to the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association.

The boat, named the F.J. King, was thought to have been lost during a powerful storm in September 1886, but it was only recently located near the Wisconsin-Michigan border with the help of sonar and remotely operated vehicles.

According to the association, the 144-foot wooden vessel sailed for 19 years before breaking apart, with pieces of debris spotted by lighthouse keepers and fishermen in the days and weeks after the sinking.

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Photo of the F.J. King on the floor of Lake Michigan.

(Wisconsin Historical Society / FOX Weather)

Photos released by researchers showed the ship still relatively intact more than 120 feet below the surface of the lake.

Historians say the ship was carrying iron at the time of the sinking, which was a common cargo in addition to grain, wood, and other products.

According to the National Park Service, the wreckage of the F.J. King is one of around 6,000 ships that were either damaged or destroyed during incidents along the Great Lakes during the 1800s.

Hundreds of these wrecks remain undiscovered, but advancements in technology and mapping have made discoveries a nearly regular occurrence.

Many of the vessels, including the F.J. King, were named after prominent figures or financial backers.

According to the NPS, the cost of transporting goods via boat at the time was significantly cheaper than other transportation options.

With the opening of the Erie Canal along Lake Erie, a 20-day transport from Buffalo to New York City, which would have cost in the neighborhood of $100, fell to just $5 in a trip that took less than a week.

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The Wisconsin Historical Society’s Maritime Archaeology Program said its researchers are in the process of creating a 3D model of the wreckage and plan to advocate for the F.J. King to be added to the State and National Register of Historic Places.

An initiative known as Lakebed 2030 aims to help map the floor of the lakes, which could help identify additional shipwrecks in the coming years.