Another ship is found after being submerged for 140 years

(Researcher photographs the discovery of the F.J. King ship after 140 years. Image found at: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/nation-world/searchers-discover-ghost-ship-lake-michigan/507-111e2585-bfe1-4ec3-8338-15d5cde8e20d)

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIwSr5M7TYw:

 Today Show reports on the “F.J. King Ghost Ship Found in Lake Michigan after 1886 Sinking”

Ghost Ship found after 140 years

With many discoveries of wreckage following

  It’s been over a century since the disappearance of a ship, known as the F.J. King. Its discovery at the bottom of Lake Michigan finally brings many conflicting accounts of its disappearance to an end. More, so this is one major discovery in Lake Michigan as of June 28, 2025. For the sake of conversation, it’s better to explain the F.J. King’s vast history in detail. Rather than go on a tangent about the story overall

  First, the F.J. King was built in 1867 and came out at a whopping 144 feet. According to the announcement by the Archaeology Association and the historical society, the ship ran into a gale while moving iron ore to Chicago off the Door Peninsula on Sept. 16, 1886. 

How did this ship come to sink?

  During the King’s transport, waves were estimated at eight to 10 feet. These waves then ruptured the ship's seams after several hours. William Griffin, Captain of the F.J. King, simply ordered his men into a small emergency life boat for safety. Immediately after getting his men to safety, the ship had sunk at approximately 2 a.m. Every document of Griffin’s was then lost in the wreckage. Griffin and his men were then brought to Bailey’s Harbor safely by a passing schooner ship.

What was the aftermath?

  Originally, Griffin reported the ship went down at around five miles off the coast of Bailey’s Harbor, a town now with approximately 280 residents and extends into Lake Michigan . However, a nearby lighthouse keeper reported ship debris closer to shore. Afterwards, many attempts have been made in finding the F.J. King. However, many searchers had been brought to a halt, due to many conflicting accounts of the location of the ship. Most of these searches have been conducted in the 1970s. Afterwards, the F.J. King would build its reputation as a ghost ship amongst shipwreck researchers.

How was this ship discovered?

  However, as one could expect, a team led by researcher Brendon Baillod discovered the ship’s debris off of Bailey’s Harbor. Upon the discovery, Baillod states,”A few of us had to pinch each other. After all the previous searches, we couldn’t believe we had actually found it, and so quickly.” Baillod believed that Griffin may not have known the location of the ship wreckage, due to the darkness he and his crew were in at the time. 

  Baillod’s process in finding the King’s wreckage was simple. He drew a 2-square-mile grid around the location the lighthouse keeper had originally given and proceeded to search within that area. The search was conducted using Side-Scan Sonar. They uncovered an object measuring at around 140 feet long, less than half a mile from the location given by the lighthouse keeper. This unknown object was discovered as the F.J. King. Thankfully, this discovery led to the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association  being able to uncover five locations of lost sea vessels. A positive after over a century long search for what was once a lost ship.