Quick Facts

History & Story

Built in 1862 at Blendon’s Landing on Michigan’s Grand River, the three-masted schooner Lumberman spent more than three decades working the Lake Michigan lumber trade. She carried lumber, bark, and shingles from remote logging ports along both shores of the lake — including places like Lilly Bay and Whitefish Bay — to rapidly growing cities such as Chicago, supporting the region’s industrial expansion during the late 19th century.

Lumberman had a long and demanding career typical of working schooners of the era. She survived multiple collisions, underwent major repairs on more than one occasion, and even endured a lightning strike in 1883 that shattered her mizzen mast and knocked the wheelsman unconscious. Despite these incidents, the vessel continued to operate, a testament to both her construction and the resilience of Great Lakes sail crews.

Her final voyage came in early spring of 1893, during Captain Orin Vose’s first trip as master of the vessel. En route from Chicago to Whitefish Bay to load railroad ties for V. & C. Mashek, Lumberman was caught in a sudden and violent squall. Around 3 p.m. on Friday, April 6, 1893, approximately 17 miles southeast of Milwaukee off Oak Creek, Wisconsin, the storm threw the schooner onto her beam ends. Water flooded the hull, and although she briefly righted herself, Lumberman soon sank in ten fathoms — roughly 65 feet — of water.

Captain Vose and two crew members were below deck at the time and narrowly escaped. With the vessel submerged but the rigging still accessible above the surface, the crew climbed into the remaining spars and waited. They were rescued roughly three hours later by the steamer Menominee and taken safely to Milwaukee.

Although salvage was considered, Lumberman was never raised. In late June 1893, Racine tugboat operator Edward Gillan removed the vessel’s spars, which posed a hazard to navigation, but left the hull undisturbed on the lakebed. By late summer, the schooner had been declared a total loss and faded quietly into the growing population of abandoned shipwrecks resting on the floor of the Great Lakes — where she remains today.

Photo Highlights

Present-Day Dive Overview

Dive Type: Recreational
Depth Range: 58 to 65ft (17.7 to 19.8m)
Certification: This site is suitable for divers with training and scuba certification(s) appropriate for the planned depth and conditions.
Depths are approximate and may vary with lake level, seasonal and weather conditions.

The Lumberman was rediscovered in 1983 by Milwaukee-area diver Dan Johnson and others after an extensive search effort. Today, the wreck rests upright on a flat, sandy lakebed in about 65 feet of water. The wooden hull remains largely intact, with the outlines of the vessel still clearly defined from bow to stern. The sides of the hull rise cleanly from the bottom, creating a long, rectangular profile that makes the wreck easy to orient on.

The deck structure is mostly gone, leaving the interior open and exposed. Framing, deck beams, and cargo hold openings are clearly visible, giving divers an unobstructed view into the heart of the schooner. The mast steps and centerline structure can still be identified, but the masts themselves are no longer present, having been removed after the wreck to eliminate a navigation hazard.

Subtle signs of ongoing deterioration are visible. The bow capstan has begun to settle beneath the deck, and the hull shows signs of splitting open along the turn of the bilge, a reminder that even well-preserved wooden wrecks continue to change over time.

With minimal collapse and little modern debris, Lumberman retains a clean, orderly appearance compared to many older wooden wrecks. The open layout, modest depth, and clear lines make her an approachable and rewarding dive — offering an excellent look at a working 19th-century Great Lakes schooner preserved on the lakebed.

3D Interactive Model

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Research & Databases

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks: Lumberman (1862)