3D Shipwrecks just added a new shallow-water Wisconsin wreck to the 3DShipwrecks.org website and database: the Atlanta, a 200-foot wooden propeller built in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1891. Operated by the Goodrich Transportation Company, Atlanta served routes between Chicago, Grand Haven, and Muskegon before expanding to additional ports along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline.
Atlanta’s story ended in 1906 when fire broke out while the vessel was en route from Sheboygan to Chicago. Passengers and crew were rescued with the help of the Smith Brothers fish tug, though one crew member was lost after missing the jump from Atlanta to the tug. The vessel was eventually towed ashore, where it burned to the waterline. Years later, its machinery was salvaged, and during World War II the wreck was dynamited for the remaining steel.
Today, the remains of Atlanta rest in just 17 feet of water off Wisconsin, making it a popular destination for snorkelers, kayakers, and occasional divers. The wreck’s accessibility, historical significance, and changing sand cover make it one of the most interesting shoreline wreck sites in the region.
This new 3D model was created from 2,287 30-megapixel images captured by Andrew Goodman during the 2025 season, producing a detailed record of the site as it appears today. The finished model is now live on 3DShipwrecks.org as part of our growing effort to document and share Great Lakes shipwrecks through photogrammetry.
The second image in this post shows a 2016 archaeological site survey. The third image overlays that 2016 survey onto the 2025 orthomosaic and includes a summary of the visible changes across the site. The final image shows the location of the Atlanta, helping place the wreck within its Wisconsin shoreline setting.
Atlanta is a great example of why shallow-water wrecks matter. Even heavily altered sites can still reveal important stories about Great Lakes commerce, disaster, salvage, and long-term site change. With this release, visitors can now explore one of Wisconsin’s best-known shoreline wrecks in a new way through an interactive 3D record.