Edith H. Koyen – Lake Michigan Schooner Shipwreck (1906)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Edith H. Koyen
• Type: scow-schooner
• Year Built: 1890
• Builder: Andrew A. Koyen
• Dimensions: 55.60 ft (16.94 m) X 17.00 ft (5.18 m); Depth of hold: 5.00 ft (1.52 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 38.04 tons
• Location: Offshore Kewaunee, Wisconsin
• Coordinates: N 44° 27.692′ / W 87° 29.801′ (approximate)
• Official Number: 136147
• Original Owners: Andrew A. Koyen
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Type: Two-masted scow-schooner
• Service: Short-haul local freight, likely lumber and agricultural cargoes
• Intended Use: Harbor and coastal trade in Green Bay and Lake Michigan

Description

• Wreck Location: Offshore Kewaunee, WI (exact depth unverified, likely shallow)
• Condition: Presumed broken and scattered after intentional scuttling
• Archaeological Potential: Represents small scow-schooners, once common but rarely preserved; example of harbor clearance disposal practice common in the early 20th century

History

• 1890: Vessel launched at Detroit Harbor, named after Koyen’s daughter, Edith.
• 1890–1897: Operated in local harbor and nearshore trade, carrying small loads typical for scow-schooners.
• Late Career: Vessel became leaky and unseaworthy, reflecting the common decline of lightly built scow-schooners after years of hard service.

Significant Incidents

• November 1897: Under command of Captain Chris Braunsdord, the Edith H. Koyen was moored at Clay Banks, WI when she developed serious leaks. She was towed to Kewaunee Harbor for lay-up and repair consideration.
• May 1898: The schooner settled to the bottom while docked in Kewaunee Harbor. Official enrollment surrendered later that summer, marking formal abandonment.
• November 1, 1906: Contract awarded to remove the sunken Koyen and three other derelicts obstructing Kewaunee Harbor.
• 27 December 1906: Vessel raised from harbor and towed into Lake Michigan, where she was intentionally scuttled offshore Kewaunee at the current recorded coordinates.
• Casualties: 0

Final Disposition

• Intentional scuttling reflects routine harbor-clearing practices that led to the disappearance of many small schooners from the Great Lakes.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Presumed broken and scattered after intentional scuttling.
• Not a dive destination of major interest, but remains part of the maritime heritage of Kewaunee and the Washington Island shipbuilding tradition.

Resources & Links

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The Edith H. Koyen is an important representative of small scow-schooners that served local commerce on Green Bay and Lake Michigan during the late 19th century. While not a dive destination of major interest, it remains part of the maritime heritage of Kewaunee.