Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Fountain City
- Type: Wooden propeller package freighter
- Year Built: 1857
- Builder: Peck & Masters
- Dimensions: 210 ft × 30.4 ft × 12 ft; 969 GRT / 805 NRT
- Registered Tonnage: 969 GRT / 805 NRT
- Location: Sturgeon Bay coal dock, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 9680
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid-19th-century wooden propeller freighter built to carry general freight between regional ports, often loaded on deck and used for diverse cargoes.
Description
Constructed in 1857, Fountain City served as a cargo and package freighter. On 5 May 1896, while docked at Sturgeon Bay for repairs or preparation, the vessel caught fire at the coal dock. The blaze rapidly destroyed the freighter, igniting her wooden hull. She burned to the waterline and sank at her berth. Later hull remnants remained partially submerged.
History
Declared a total loss. In October 1900, her burned hull was refloated and towed to Chicago, where it reportedly served as a floating drydock—an unusual but documented reuse of an abandoned hull.
Significant Incidents
- 5 May 1896: Caught fire while docked at Sturgeon Bay during repairs, leading to total loss.
Final Disposition
The sinking occurred publicly at Sturgeon Bay. No GPS coordinates exist, and no modern archaeological surveys have been conducted. Her hull remnants were intentionally salvaged.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No navigational hazards or wreck markers remain. The site—now developed—bears no historical markers indicating this event.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”fountain-city” title=”References & Links”]
Fountain City, launched in 1857, was destroyed by dockside fire at Sturgeon Bay on 5 May 1896 during repairs. Her hull sank but was later refloated and repurposed in Chicago. No wreck remains are known today. The incident highlights late-19th-century waterfront fire risks and adaptive reuse practices.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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