Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: J. & A. Stronach
- Type: Three-masted schooner (wooden, sail-powered)
- Year Built: 1854
- Builder: George Barber, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: 109.9 ft (33.5 m) × 23.9 ft (7.3 m) × 7 ft (2.1 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~143 gross tons
- Location: Off Milwaukee, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Not recorded
- Official Number: 12978
- Original Owners: John & Andrew Stronach (original); later multiple including L.E. Merrill (Chicago) and John Saveland (Milwaukee)
- Number of Masts: Three
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The J. & A. Stronach was a three-masted schooner built in 1854 by George Barber of Milwaukee for John and Andrew Stronach of Manistee, Michigan. Intended for the lumber trade, she carried timber from Manistee mills to Milwaukee and beyond.
Description
Measuring 110 feet in length, the vessel was typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes schooners, optimized for bulk cargo and shallow-draft operation. She was later renamed A.B.C.F.M. under the ownership of L.E. Merrill, who repurposed her as both a lumber carrier and symbolic mission vessel.
History
The schooner served the lumber industry for nearly five decades. She supplied much of the timber used in Milwaukee during the Civil War era. Key events include:
- 1854: Launched in Milwaukee for the Stronach brothers’ lumber trade.
- 1855: Capsized in Milwaukee Harbor.
- 1856: Sank after collision with schooner Telegraph off Point Sable; later recovered.
- 1869: Struck by lightning near Port Washington; Captain Hall was temporarily incapacitated.
- 1870: Rebuilt and lengthened at Manitowoc, tonnage adjusted to ~143 GT.
- 1878: Sold at U.S. Marshal auction in Manitowoc after being libeled for debts.
- 1880: Traded for the schooner Annie O. Hanson.
- 1881: Purchased by L.E. Merrill of Chicago and renamed A.B.C.F.M.; sister schooner renamed Z.Y.M.C.A.
- 1884: Wrecked at Gills Pier; raised and repaired in Milwaukee.
- 1885–1899: Operated under Milwaukee ownership, still in lumber trade.
- 1902: Abandoned in Greenfield Avenue Slip, Kinnickinnic River, Milwaukee; subsequently towed and scuttled offshore.
Significant Incidents
No significant incidents resulting in casualties were recorded for the Stronach. Crew lists are incomplete.
Final Disposition
By 1902 the vessel was obsolete, reflecting the decline of wooden schooners. She was abandoned in Milwaukee and intentionally scuttled off the city in May 1902. No wreckage coordinates were recorded. Her fate mirrors many contemporaries whose hulls were discarded offshore.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No diver documentation or archaeological survey has confirmed the remains of the A.B.C.F.M. / J. & A. Stronach. Her wreck site likely lies in sediment offshore Milwaukee.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”a-b-c-f-m-j-a-stronach-us-12978″ title=”References & Links”]
No current Notices to Mariners are associated with the wreck site. The vessel poses no navigational hazard.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
Other Names: A.B.C.F.M. (American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions)
Official Number: 12978
Registry: United States
Vessel Type: Three-masted schooner (wooden, sail-powered)
Builder: George Barber, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Year Built: 1854
Dimensions: 109.9 ft (33.5 m) × 23.9 ft (7.3 m) × 7 ft (2.1 m)
Tonnage: ~143 gross tons
Cargo on Final Voyage: Lumber
Date of Loss: May 1902
Location: Off Milwaukee, Lake Michigan
Coordinates: Not recorded
Depth: Unknown (likely shallow scuttling site)
Home Port: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Owners: John & Andrew Stronach (original); later multiple including L.E. Merrill (Chicago) and John Saveland (Milwaukee)
Crew: Varied
Casualties: None recorded
Description
The J. & A. Stronach was a three-masted schooner built in 1854 by George Barber of Milwaukee for John and Andrew Stronach of Manistee, Michigan. Intended for the lumber trade, she carried timber from Manistee mills to Milwaukee and beyond. Measuring 110 feet in length, the vessel was typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes schooners, optimized for bulk cargo and shallow-draft operation. She was later renamed A.B.C.F.M. under the ownership of L.E. Merrill, who repurposed her as both a lumber carrier and symbolic mission vessel.
History
The schooner served the lumber industry for nearly five decades. She supplied much of the timber used in Milwaukee during the Civil War era. Key events include:
- 1854: Launched in Milwaukee for the Stronach brothers’ lumber trade.
- 1855: Capsized in Milwaukee Harbor.
- 1856: Sank after collision with schooner Telegraph off Point Sable; later recovered.
- 1869: Struck by lightning near Port Washington; Captain Hall was temporarily incapacitated.
- 1870: Rebuilt and lengthened at Manitowoc, tonnage adjusted to ~143 GT.
- 1878: Sold at U.S. Marshal auction in Manitowoc after being libeled for debts.
- 1880: Traded for the schooner Annie O. Hanson.
- 1881: Purchased by L.E. Merrill of Chicago and renamed A.B.C.F.M.; sister schooner renamed Z.Y.M.C.A.
- 1884: Wrecked at Gills Pier; raised and repaired in Milwaukee.
- 1885–1899: Operated under Milwaukee ownership, still in lumber trade.
- 1902: Abandoned in Greenfield Avenue Slip, Kinnickinnic River, Milwaukee; subsequently towed and scuttled offshore.
Final Dispositions
By 1902 the vessel was obsolete, reflecting the decline of wooden schooners. She was abandoned in Milwaukee and intentionally scuttled off the city in May 1902. No wreckage coordinates were recorded. Her fate mirrors many contemporaries whose hulls were discarded offshore.
Located By & Date Found
No diver documentation or archaeological survey has confirmed the remains of the A.B.C.F.M. / J. & A. Stronach. Her wreck site likely lies in sediment offshore Milwaukee.
Notmars & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners are associated with the wreck site. The vessel poses no navigational hazard.
Dive Information
Access: Unknown
Entry Point: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Conditions: Typical Lake Michigan offshore conditions (variable visibility, strong currents)
Depth Range: Not recorded (shallow scuttling site)
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan; Milwaukee Fire Department
Permits: Required for archaeological disturbance
Dive Support: Charter and dive shops operate from Milwaukee but no known expeditions to this site
Crew & Casualty Memorials
No recorded fatalities are associated with the Stronach. Crew lists are incomplete. Memorials specific to the vessel have not been identified.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“In 1881, L.E. Merrill of Chicago renamed the schooner J. & A. Stronach as A.B.C.F.M. for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, with the warning that her likeness must never be displayed in a saloon or brothel.” – Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
Official number 12978. Registered at Milwaukee (1854). Re-enrolled after rebuild at Manitowoc (1870). Ownership transferred multiple times before final abandonment. Registry closed 1902 after scuttling.
Site Documentation & Imaging
The vessel is documented in Wisconsin Shipwrecks, the Milwaukee Public Library collections, and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society. No physical wreck surveys have been completed.
Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks – J. & A. Stronach / A.B.C.F.M.
- Baillod – Milwaukee’s Abandoned Schooners
- Links to the Past – Milwaukee Marine History
- Chequamegon History
References
- Wisconsin Historical Society – Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database.
- Baillod, Brendon – Milwaukee Abandoned Schooner Survey.
- Milwaukee Public Library – Great Lakes Marine Collection.
- Contemporary newspaper accounts (Milwaukee Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, 1854–1902).
NOAA Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: A.B.C.F.M.
Official Number: 12978
Coordinates: Not recorded; off Milwaukee
Depth: Unknown
Location Description: Offshore Milwaukee, Lake Michigan
Vessel Type: Three-masted schooner
Material: Wood
Dimensions: 109.9 × 23.9 × 7 ft; ~143 gross tons
Condition: Scuttled; presumed buried/fragmented
Cause of Loss: Abandoned/scuttled 1902
Discovery Date: Not located
Discovered By: N/A
Method: N/A
Legal Notes: Registry closed 1902
Hazards: None
Permits Required: Yes (archaeological survey)
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