Sometimes history resurfaces in the most unexpected ways.
This summer, a Wisconsin adventurer and boater stumbled upon a long-lost shipwreck in Lake Michigan that had been hiding beneath the waves for nearly 140 years.
Using satellite images, Matt Olson, owner of Door County Adventure Rafting, spotted the outlines of a vessel that would later be confirmed as the Frank D. Barker, a 137-foot merchant ship built in 1867.
A Merchant Ship Lost to Lake Michigan
The Frank D. Barker was designed to transport grain between ports in the Great Lakes.
In 1887, while sailing toward Escanaba, Michigan, the ship ran into trouble.
Bad weather drove it aground on Spider Island, and attempts to refloat the vessel failed.
The ship eventually sank in shallow waters, only about 24 feet deep, where it remained hidden for more than a century.
Why It Took Over a Century to Find
Despite being so shallow, the wreck remained undiscovered for so long largely due to inaccurate reports in early newspapers, which placed the ship closer to Spider Island than its actual resting spot.
“When we pulled the boat over it, we could faintly see it from the surface and that’s why I was surprised no one had come across it yet,” Olson told FOX 53.
Olson, who has already discovered four other shipwrecks, explained to the Daily Mail that spotting parallel lines in the water can be a clue to hidden wrecks.
“It’s an incredible feeling to come across a shipwreck of this size and in such great condition, especially knowing how long it went undetected,” he said.
Turning Coordinates Into History
Once Olson pinpointed the location, he shared the coordinates with the Wisconsin Historical Society, which dispatched maritime archaeologists to investigate.
After several diving missions, the team confirmed the ship’s identity as the Frank D. Barker.
The wooden vessel had two masts and regularly carried grain from Milwaukee and Chicago to Lake Ontario, returning with coal from Lake Erie.
On its final voyage, it was heading to pick up iron ore when dense fog and a limestone outcropping caused it to run aground.
Crew Rescued But Ship Lost
Because the ship was light, it rode high in the water and was easily pushed over the shoal at Spider Island, according to Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen.
The crew and captain were stranded on the island until the tugboat Spalding arrived the next day.
Despite multiple recovery attempts over the following year, the ship could not be salvaged and was declared a total loss.
At the time, it was valued at $8,000, roughly $250,000 in today’s terms.
Protecting a Piece of Maritime Heritage
The Wisconsin Historical Society emphasized that the Frank D. Barker wreck is protected under state and federal law.
Anyone attempting to disturb or remove artifacts from the site faces prosecution.
For Olson, the discovery is more than a historical find—it’s a chance to shine a light on Wisconsin’s rich maritime history.
“I am honored to play a role in bringing this history to light so folks can better understand Wisconsin’s maritime past,” he said.
