Maritime historians from the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association (WUAA) have discovered the wreck of the schooner Margaret A. Muir near Algoma, Wisconsin, USA. The team, led by Brendon Baillod, Robert Jaeck and Kevin Cullen, used historical research and advanced sonar technology to locate the remains of the ship on 12 May 2024.
Wisconsin Historical Society diver takes photos for a 3D photogrammetry model of the Margaret A. Muir.
The Margaret A. Muir was built in 1872 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Constructed for Captain David Muir by the Hanson & Scove shipyard, the 130ft, three-masted schooner was designed primarily for the Great Lakes grain trade, although it carried various other cargoes throughout its 21-year career.
The vessel was lost on 30 September 1893 while transporting bulk salt from Bay City, Michigan, to South Chicago, Illinois. Captain David Clow reported that the ship encountered a severe gale at about 5 a.m. while crossing Lake Michigan. The storm intensified, and by 7:30 a.m., the ship was overwhelmed by massive waves. The crew tried to steer toward Ahnapee (now Algoma), Wisconsin, but the ship began to flood. Captain Clow ordered the crew to abandon ship, but the vessel soon sank, taking the captain’s dog with it.
The crew of six, including Captain Clow, escaped in a lifeboat, battling 15-foot waves. Despite the rough conditions, Clow skillfully guided the small boat to shore, where the freezing, soaked crew was rescued by locals and taken to the St. Charles Hotel for shelter. The captain, a seasoned sailor of 71 years, was deeply saddened by the loss of his dog, saying, “I would rather lose any sum of money than to have the brute perish as he did.”
Research and discovery
Baillod, who had been researching Wisconsin’s missing ships for two decades, identified the Margaret A. Muir as a promising candidate for discovery. In 2023, he teamed up with the WUAA to search for the ship. After narrowing the search area to five square miles based on historical data, the team found the wreck in roughly 50ft of water, just miles from Algoma’s harbour. Despite years of fishing activity in the area, the wreck had remained undiscovered for over a century.
The team promptly informed Wisconsin State Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen, and within weeks, a team captured thousands of high-resolution images of the site. These images were used by Zach Whitrock to create a 3D photogrammetry model of the wreck, allowing for virtual exploration. Although the vessel’s structure has collapsed, much of its deck equipment, including anchors, hand pumps and the capstan, remains in place.
The WUAA has plans to work with the Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program of the Wisconsin Historical Society to nominate the wreck to the National Register of Historic Places. If accepted, the Margaret A. Muir will join the schooner Trinidad, which the team located off Algoma in 2023.
The WUAA is a non-profit organization that engages the public in underwater archeology and maritime history projects, encouraging community involvement as citizen scientists.
