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Summary
Ocean Wave Shipwreck
Lake Michigan, Door County
Date of Construction: 1860
Builder: Robert Chambers
The scow schooner Ocean Wave was inadvertently located in 2003 when a fishing vessel discovered a wooden mast entangled in its nets. Built on Harrison's Island, Michigan in 1860, the Ocean Wave was bound for White Lake, Michigan with a load of limestone from Moonlight Bay when she foundered in a storm just after 3:00 AM on September 23, 1869. Sinking quickly, the crew barely escaped in their yawl boat and paddled through the night, arriving safe, yet exhausted, at Whitefish Point that morning. Resting in 110 feet of water off Whitefish Point, the wreck is broken up, but the bow and bowsprit still stand upright, making a unique dive and an excellent site to document scow schooner construction.
State and federal laws protect this shipwreck. Divers may not remove artifacts or structure when visiting this shipwreck site. Removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime. More information on Wisconsin's historic shipwrecks may be found by visiting Wisconsin's Great Lakes Shipwrecks website.
Property Details
| Criteria | Information Potential |
|---|---|
| Area Of Significance | Archeology/Historic - Non-Aboriginal,Maritime History |
| Period of Significance | 1860-1869 |
| Architectural Style | No Style Listed |
| Architect | |
| Resource Type | Site |
| Historic Use | Water-Related |
Resources Within The Property
| Contributing Buildings | 0 |
|---|---|
| Contributing Sites | 1 |
| Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Contributing Objects | 1 |
| Non-Contributing Buildings | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Sites | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Structures | 0 |
| Non-Contributing Objects | 0 |
Designations
| Historic Status | Listed in the State Register |
|---|---|
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Apr 28, 2006 |
| Historic Status | Listed in the National Register |
| National Historic Landmark Listing Date | Jul 19, 2006 |
State & National Registers of Historic Places
The State Register and National Register recognize buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects that are significant in national, state, or local history. The State Historic Preservation Office in conjunction with the National Park Service maintains the list for Wisconsin and makes the data available to the public for research and education.
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Email UsAttribution
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Address Restricted
100004028
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7 miles northeast of Sheboygan in Lake Michigan
13000128
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.13 miles SW of Whitefish Dunes State Park, Lake Michigan
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9.5 miles south of the Sheboygan Harbor entrance, in Lake Michigan
100009104
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10001092
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06000638
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