Door County shipwreck is the 28th local wreck on the National Register of Historic Places

Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·3 min read

LIBERTY GROVE - A North Bay shipwreck became the second one this year and 28th so far in Door County waters to gain a listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

The remains of the Boaz, a lumber-carrying schooner that lies in North Bay on the Lake Michigan side of the Peninsula, officially joined the national register Oct. 10, the Wisconsin Historical Society announced Monday. She was named to the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places in June.

The remains of the Boaz, a 19th-century double-centerboard lumber schooner that sank in Door County's North Bay in 1900, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, about four months after it was named to the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places.
The remains of the Boaz, a 19th-century double-centerboard lumber schooner that sank in Door County's North Bay in 1900, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, about four months after it was named to the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places.

The Boaz joins the Emeline, a lumber schooner that sank in Lake Michigan off Anclam Park in Baileys Harbor in 1896, as local wrecks named to the state and national registers this year. The Emeline was added to the state register in March and the national register in June.

Why the Boaz?

The Boaz is considered distinctive among Great Lakes shipping vessels of its time because it was a double-centerboard schooner, a type of construction that was meant to provide greater stability and reduce leeway (sideways drift). Little historical documentation exists on these types of schooners, which was cited by the historical society as a major reason the Boaz was named to the state and national registers. The Emeline also was a double-centerboard schooner at the time of its sinking.

What happened to her?

Built in 1869 by Amos C. Stoakes in Sheboygan, the 114-foot-long Boaz spent most of its career carrying lumber to and from various ports throughout the Great Lakes region for its owners.

On Nov. 9, 1900, she was caught in a gale while sailing with a load of lumber from Pierpont, Michigan, to Racine, quickly beginning to leak heavily, according to the Wisconsin Shipwrecks website. The vessel sought shelter in nearby North Bay but missed the entrance. The crew dropped anchor to prevent the Boaz from running ashore and abandoned ship in a small boat, fearing the Boaz would capsize in the waves.

The following day the crew requested assistance from a nearby vessel, the steamer Two Myrtles. It towed the Boaz into the bay, where the vessel was grounded. Attempts were later made to pull off the vessel, to no avail. Then the owners decided the cost of recovering the old, damaged schooner was too high, so it was listed as a total loss and left in place in the bay, with the masts removed and sold off three years later.

Today, the vessel sits upright in 6 to 8 feet of water just off land on the eastern side of the bay, with many of its hull components intact and more components surviving beneath the sandy bottom of the bay. It generally is visible from the above the water's surface.

She's not alone

Another wreck in North Bay that's also usually visible from the water's surface was named to the state register at the same time as the Boaz: the Sunshine, a 97-foot-long scow schooner built in 1856 that became waterlogged, was stranded in the bay on Sept. 29, 1869, and later broke up. Her remains lie in 8 to 10 feet of water in the northwestern part of the bay as the 29th Door County wreck listed on the state register.

Also in North Bay is the remains of the Cherubusco, a 114-foot-long lumber vessel that sank in 1872 and now sits easily visible in about 10 feet of water in the middle of the bay. It is not currently on the state or national historic registers.

Meanwhile, the historical society is considering the wreck of the Peoria off Baileys Harbor as a candidate for the state register, with a decision soon.

State and federal laws protect these shipwrecks. Divers may not remove artifacts or structure when visiting the sites. Removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

MORE: Public asked to weigh in on proposed walking and cycling trails into Egg Harbor

MORE: Iconic Door County resort damaged in fire is listed for sale for more than $2 million

FOR MORE DOOR COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Shipwreck in Door County joins the National Register of Historic Places