Earlier this summer, Matt Olson of Fish Creek found the shipwreck of a 137-foot cargo vessel which sank in the Rowyleys Bay area in 1887, the long-lost “Frank D. Barker.” This is the 3rd major shipwreck Olson has found in Door County waters, as he also discovered both the “Grey Eagle” and the “Sunshine” in 2023. Olson comments on his lifelong interest in shipwrecks in area waters…
As Olson shared with us, he does not just happen upon these shipwrecks by accident. There is a lot of research which is done beforehand on dry land. Olson explains his approach to finding these old sunken vessels…
The “Frank D. Barker” was what they called a “Canaller” vessel, designed for transporting grain around the great lakes. Bad weather and foggy conditions caused it to hit a rocky shoal in 1887 while en route to Escanaba to collect a load of iron ore. Olson explains his first view of this large vessel which now sits in 24 feet of water…
State and federal laws now protect this site, and any removal, destruction, or disturbance of any artifacts at this shipwreck site is strictly forbidden.
