Other Names
- ACORN
Site Description
- Schooner (Bark)
- 125ft 40m Lengths
- 6ffw 2m Depths
- Two Rivers, Wisconsin
- N 44° 11.607′
W 087° 30.677′ - Lake Michigan
History
The schooner ALASKA, originally named ACORN, was built in 1863 by A. Muir in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Canada. It was constructed as a barkentine but later converted into a vessel for timber traffic. The ship had a length of 125.2 feet, a beam of 26.4 feet, and a depth of 10.1 feet. Its gross tonnage was 316 tons, and it had a net tonnage of 303 tons.
Throughout its history, the ALASKA had several incidents and name changes. In 1865, it foundered near Manitou Islands, Lake Michigan, resulting in the loss of five lives. The wreck was recovered, and the vessel was enrolled in Chicago. In 1866, it ran aground in Sand Beach, Michigan, but was released with the assistance of a tug. In 1871, the ALASKA collided with another ship named FRANKIE WILCOX, and in the same year, it went ashore on Salmon Point while loaded with timber from Saginaw.
In 1882, the ALASKA was likely sold to American owners. On August 9, 1883, it was officially renamed ALASKA. However, the vessel’s misfortunes continued, and on September 18, 1884, it ran aground at Scott’s Point on Lake Michigan while carrying iron ore. Despite efforts to salvage the ship by the wrecker LEVIATHAN, it broke up due to the stormy conditions. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties in this incident.
The ALASKA had a previous serious accident in August of the same year at Bois Blanc Island in the Straits of Mackinac. It was also involved in another notable incident in 1879 when it was caught in a gale and stranded near the Twin Rivers point lighthouse. Efforts to free and relaunch the ship failed, and it ultimately sank not far from the stranded location.
Dive Site
Today, the wreck of the ALASKA lies in five feet of water on the bottom of Lake Michigan, partially covered by sand near the southern end of Point Beach State Forest. The site was discovered in 2014 and remains lightly visited by divers, snorkelers, kayakers, and boaters. The vessel’s bow, deck machinery, centerboard trunk, some rigging implements, and portions of its hull structure are still intact at the site, while other parts are covered by shifting sands.
