Baileys Harbor, Door County, WI. – The Wisconsin Historical Society announces the listing of the Emeline shipwreck in the National Register of Historic Places on July 28, 2023. The Emeline lies submerged in Lake Michigan about one-half mile southeast of the entrance to the Baileys Harbor marina.
Built in 1862 in Vicksburg, Michigan, Emeline was one of a unique class of Great Lakes vessels: the double centerboard schooner. Much of what is known about this vessel type, and the lake shoring trade in which they operated, has come from archaeological data recovered from wreck sites. Little historical documentation exists on double centerboard schooner construction and operation.
The Emeline spent most of its career carrying lumber throughout the Great Lakes region. In August of 1896, the Emeline was caught in a northwest squall, blown over to its starboard side, and righted itself but did not gain stability. The crew was able to reach Baileys Harbor in the yawl boat. After several attempts to right the vessel, it sank in 18 feet of water near Anclam Pier. Wind and wave action broke up the Emeline and it was declared a hazard to navigation. In 1903, the vessel was dynamited to flatten the hazard.
More information on Wisconsin’s historic shipwrecks may be found by visiting Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Shipwrecks website at www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org
Additional information for the Emeline is available at https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/NationalRegister/NR2767
To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit https://wisconsinhistory.org/hp/register/
