The Joseph Cochrane shipwreck at Baileys Harbor (Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society)
(WLUK) — A Door County shipwreck has been added to the state’s list of historical places.
The Wisconsin Historical Society announced the Joseph Cochrane shipwreck at Baileys Harbor is now on the State Register of Historic Places.
The shipwreck is submerged in Lake Michigan more than 500 feet southwest of the Baileys Harbor Lighthouse.
The Joseph Cochrane shipwreck was Listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 under the name Christina Nilsson. With additional scholarship and information gathered from resources unavailable at the time of the original nomination, the wreck is now known to be the Joseph Cochrane. The Christina Nilsson shipwreck has been identified nearby.
The Joseph Cochrane was launched in 1856 to transport bulk cargo and general merchandise within its hull. The schooner was carrying lumber when it sprang a leak on the night of October 29, 1870, off Baileys Harbor. Despite efforts of the crew, the ship became grounded on a reef on the east side of the harbor. Efforts were made for three days to save the vessel, but winds continued to batter the ship, and it was ultimately abandoned.
State and federal laws protect this shipwreck. Divers may not remove artifacts or structure when visiting this site. Removing, defacing, displacing, or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime.
Comments