- by foxnews
- 02 Oct 2025
Researchers in Wisconsin recently discovered a long-lost "ghost ship," hidden in Lake Michigan for nearly 140 years. The Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS) announced the discovery on Sept. 15.
Officials said the F.J. King became known as a ghost ship "due to her elusiveness."
"Missing for 139 years, the F.J. King was one of the most highly sought ships on Lake Michigan, and has been the subject of countless search efforts since the 1970s," the WHS noted.
The recent effort took 20 citizen scientists and community historians.
Brendon Baillod, the principal investigator and president of the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association (WUAA), considered the discovery "a long shot."
"A few of us had to pinch each other," recalled Baillod, who had collected hundreds of documents about the ship and its sinking.
"After all the previous searches, we couldn't believe we had actually found it, and so quickly."
"We reasoned that the captain may not have known where he was in the 2 a.m. darkness, but the lighthouse keeper's course and distance to the masts were probably accurate," said Baillod.
"The hull is remarkably intact," he added. "We expected her to be in pieces due to the weight of the iron ore cargo, but her hull looks to be in one piece."
Fox News Digital reached out to Baillod for further comment.
The latest find is one of many ship discoveries that the WHS helped facilitate over the past few months.
A priceless bracelet belonging to Pharaoh Usermaatre Amenemope was recently stolen from Cairo's Egyptian Museum and melted down by thieves for $4,000, echoing similar thefts over time.
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