‘Ghost ship’ found at bottom of Great Lake nearly 140 years after it sank

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — Searchers have discovered the elusive wreck of the F.J. King, a schooner that sank on Lake Michigan nearly 140 years ago.

The Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association (WUAA) announced the discovery Monday. The F.J. King sank on Sept. 15, 1886, during a storm off of Baileys Harbor, Wis., the news release says.

“Missing for 139 years, the F.J. King was one of the most highly sought lost ships on Lake Michigan and had been the subject of countless search efforts since the 1970s,” the WUAA says in its news release. “Green Bay-based Neptune’s Dive Club had even issued a $1,000 reward for its discovery. She had developed a reputation as something of a ghost ship due to her elusiveness.”

A WUAA group led by principal investigator Brendon Baillod began a search on June