Loaded with coal and bound for Milwaukee early on the freezing cold morning of May 11th, 1881, the 140-foot schooner Trinidad sank about ten miles off the coast of Algoma Wisconsin. Capt. Jon Higgins and his eight-man crew were able to get into the schooner’s yawl boat and row it to Algoma, Wisconsin. They rowed for some eight hours in the bitter cold suffering from hypothermia. All onboard survived except for the captain’s gold retriever who went down with the ship.
Trinidad was built in Grand Island, New York in 1867 by shipwright William Keefe. Trinidad was used primarily in the grain trade between Milwaukee, Chicago and Oswego, New York. On her last voyage, she was carrying a load of coal. Captain Higgins said the owners were not willing to pay for the repairs she needed. He also explained that he ran into thick ice while heading north through the Straits of Mackinac, ice so thick that he had to enlist the aid of a tugboat to get Trinidad through the ice. Soon after a leak in the hold was discovered but deemed tolerable until May 11th when suddenly the Trinidad began to sink rapidly.
Maritime historians Brandon Baillod and Bob Jaeck discovered the shipwreck on July 15 near Algoma, Wisconsin. Baillod and Jaeck are historians and shipwreck hunters. They have long been associated with the Wisconsin Historical Society Maritime Archaeology Program. They have worked closely with the Maritime Archaeologist Society to document, preserve and share their work. Baillod said “We were stunned to see that not only was the deckhouse still on her, but it still had all the cabinets with all the dishes stacked in them and all the crew’s effects. “She was submerged in 275 feet of water for 142 years. Amazingly she was remarkably intact with the deckhouse still quite visible and containing a large number of crew member’s possessions. A bell and anchors were clearly visible on the deck. Although encrusted with marine life, the helm was clearly visible.
Baillod told the New York Times “It’s really like a ship in a bottle. It’s a time capsule.”
Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin’s State Underwater Archeologist, arranged for the site to be surveyed by Crossmon Consulting using a commercial Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) with forward-looking sonar.
This device made it possible to measure the dimensions of the hull. Once the dimensions were documented they were compared with the ship’s original dimensions given on the vessel’s original customs house enrollment documents and her identity was confirmed.
Armed with this information, Baillod and Jaeck set out to find the resting place of the Trinidad. The pair of experienced searchers had constructed a custom-built towfish that allowed them to deploy low-frequency fish-finder sonar well below the surface instead of mounting it on the boat. This enabled them to create a three-dimensional map of the bottom nearly 1/3 of a mile wide with each pass, giving them the ability to map a large area of the lake bottom in a relatively short time.
The first images of the wreck were not very clear and the pair almost missed the wreck. On another try at a slower speed and higher resolution, they could clearly see that they had discovered a shipwreck. The wreck was almost exactly where Trinidad’s captain had reported her loss in 1881.
It is hoped that one day Trinidad will be included in the National Register of Historic Places. Baillod plans to work with the State Historical Society to prepare the nomination, which will bring greater visibility to the site as an important part of the community history of Algoma and the surrounding area. After the wreck is listed on the National Register and has been thoroughly documented, her specific location will be made public so technical divers can visit her without impacting the fragile wooden hull or the historical artifacts.
Sailing on the waters of Lake Michigan can be treacherous. There are some 600 known wrecks. Among them is there is a story about what is called the Christmas Tree Wreck
According to the National Archives research by Glenn Longacre: “At some stage of Herman Schuenemann’s long career as a late-season tree captain, he was given the title of Captain Santa. The affectionate nickname was bestowed by Chicago’s local newspapers and by the city’s grateful residents. Schuenemann’s profits from selling Christmas trees had never made the family wealthy, but his reputation for generosity was well-established, and he delighted in presenting trees to many of the city’s needy residents. Schuenemann enjoyed the sobriquet and proudly kept newspaper clippings about his role as Captain Santa in his oilskin wallet.”
Researchers believe that when he set out for his late-season run in November 1912, the Rouse Simmons was one of only a handful of ships to attempt it that year. Schuenemann knew those trips could be deadly. His older brother, August Schuenemann, had died in a Christmas tree hauling trip in 1898 when the schooner S. Thal sank in a storm.
Manitowoc Mayor Justin Nickels said in a news release. “We are excited that the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast NMS will finally be a reality,” “The protection of this body of water and the shipwrecks with this designation, which lie forever at rest along our coast, will memorialize the rich history of our community and the men and women who built our city for generations before us.”
Two Rivers City Manager Greg Buckley added in the news release: “Our community had its origins on the water and, like so many Great Lakes cities; we are ‘turning our face back to the water’ as we pursue community redevelopment and renewal. Our Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast has some great stories to share with the rest of the world. We look forward to partnering with the state of Wisconsin and NOAA in the telling of those stories.”
The fact is there are so many wrecks along the Wisconsin coast that NOAA announced the designation of their 15th marine sanctuary — Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast. It will designate the newest sanctuary covering 2 square miles of Lake Michigan, which includes 36 shipwrecks and spans four counties — Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee. This development is likely to encourage tourism and research. Kris Sarri, president, and CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, said in a news release.
“The sanctuary will foster new opportunities for exploration, education, research and tourism that benefit the state’s coastal communities and bring increased attention to the Great Lakes role in the growth of our nation,”