Wisconsin father and daughter discover 152-year-old shipwreck likely tied to deadliest wildfire in US

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A Wisconsin father-daughter duo made an historic discovery during a fishing trip on Lake Michigan over the summer.

Near Green Island off the coast of Wisconsin, Tim Wollak and his 5-year-old daughter Henley noticed an anomoly on their boat's sonar. What they discovered was a long-forgotten ship that is believed to have sunk 152 years ago on the evening of Oct. 8, 1871 as a result of the deadliest wildfire in American history. The fire destroyed the Wisconsin logging town of Peshtigo, where the Wollak's now reside.

"I was surprised I had never seen it before because it's in an area where people regularly go," Wollak told Wisconsin's WLUK News.

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Tim Wollak and his 5-year-old daughter Henley, both of whom reside in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, made the discovery near Green Island. (Tim Wollack, Wisconsin DNR)

Wollack believed the discovery to be a shipwreck but was not aware of one in that area, so he shared his sonar photos of the wreckage to Facebook. An individual from the Wisconsin Historical Society came across them on social media and looked further into the matter.

Last week, in a post to Facebook, the society noted that the "shipwreck was investigated with Video Ray ROV on December 4" and confirmed that the remains were "a wooden three masted sailing ship" in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Though unconfirmed, the state historical society also noted that the location and current data pertaining to the wreckage fit the profile of the George L. Newman, a 122-foot-long ship that was hauling lumber when it was overtaken by thick smoke and ran aground on the southeast point of Green Island in 1871.

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Last week, in a post to Facebook, the Wisconsin Historical Society noted that the "shipwreck was investigated with Video Ray ROV on December 4" and confirmed that the remains were "a wooden three masted sailing ship" in 8 to 10 feet of water. (Wisconsin DNR)

"The smoke was so dense that the Green Island lighthouse keeper kept the light on during the day. Keeper Samuel Drew rescued the crew, who remained at the lighthouse for a week while they salvaged what they could from the wrecked vessel," the society wrote of the incident in the post. "The ship was abandoned, became covered with sand, and was largely forgotten – until it became exposed and was located by the Wollaks this past summer."

After a review of historical losses in the area, Tamara Thomsen, a maritime archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society, said she believes the discovery "fits the loss location" of the George L. Newman.

"We went back to our database to see if there was anything reported in the area and we didn't have anything," said Thomsen, according to WLUK. "However, in the database we have information on historic losses and this fits the loss location of the George L. Newman."

Though unconfirmed, the Wisconsin Historical Society also noted that the location and current data pertaining to the wreckage fit the profile of the George L. Newman. (Wisconsin DNR)

"It was actually built in 1855, so it's a pretty significant shipwreck, pretty old for Wisconsin shipwrecks anyways," Thomsen added. "To have it tied to the Peshtigo Fire, it makes it even more special."

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources stepped in to do additional imaging of the wreckage last week in an attempt to confirm suspicions of it being the Newman.

Expressing his disbelief over the discovery, Wollack said he and his daughter will be on the lookout for others in the future.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources stepped in to do additional imaging of the wreckage last week, in an attempt to confirm suspicions of it being the George L. Newman. (Wisconsin DNR)

"I don't know how we top it," he said, as reported by WLUK. "I told her I'm pretty sure there's no one else in her school that has ever found a shipwreck that nobody had recorded before. ... I guess we'll just have to fish more and see if we can find more shipwrecks."

"I like fishing with my daddy," Henley said.

After a review of historical losses in the area, Tamara Thomsen, a maritime archaeologist for the Wisconsin Historical Society, said she believes the discovery "fits the loss location" of the George L. Newman. (Wisconsin DNR)

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In the spring, the Wisconsin Historical Society's Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program is planning to conduct a survey of the wreckage. The survey could end up placing the location of the sunken ship on the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Weather Service classifies the Peshtigo Fire, which claimed the lives of more than 1,200 people, as "the most devastating forest fire in American history."