The Joseph Cochrane shipwreck at Baileys Harbor (Photo courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society)
DOOR COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A shipwreck in Door County has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places — again.
The wreck of the schooner Joseph Cochrane was listed on Jan. 22, the Wisconsin Historical Society says. It is located in Lake Michigan near Baileys Harbor.
The ship was built in Charlotte, New York, by master shipbuilder Hosea Rogers. It was launched May 6, 1856. The Joseph Cochrane was carrying lumber from Cheboygan, Michigan, when it began to leak during a gale on Oct. 29, 1870. The crew operated the pumps throughout the night and the ship became grounded as it sought shelter. Despite three days of efforts to save it, the ship was battered by winds on the reef, which caused it to break up and become abandoned.
The site was previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 under the name Christina Nilsson. However, more scholarship and new information from resources unavailable at that time have led researchers to determine the wreck is that of the Joseph Cochrane. A team from the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association identified the Christina Nilsson shipwreck nearby.
The Joseph Cochrane was listed on the State Register of Historic Places last year.
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