Matt Olson, who owns a Wisconsin adventure rafting company, was looking for new locations to take his customers on Lake Michigan when he noticed something unusual.
It was a submerged shipwreck.
He reported the “find” to the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation office, and maritime archaeologists identified the shipwreck as the Frank D. Barker, which sank in 1887, according to an Aug. 22 news release from the Wisconsin Historical Society.
Matt Olson Noticed ‘Something Unexpected in the Water’
Olson was “exploring off Door County’s coast” when he “noticed something unexpected in the water,” the release says, identifying him as the owner of Door County Adventure Rafting.
He “was scouting for sites to take his customers near Rowleys Bay when he caught sight of a submerged shipwreck,” the release adds.
A local boater’s discovery near Rowleys Bay has led to the identification of the Frank D. Barker shipwreck, lost in 1887. pic.twitter.com/llVp0qq3Z2
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) August 22, 2025
The “long-lost” Frank D. Barker was “constructed in 1867 and sunk in 1887 after running upon a limestone outcropping amid foggy conditions,” according to the release.
The Frank D. Barker Ran Into Bad Weather While Collecting a Load of Iron Ore
The Frank D. Barker “was bound for Escanaba, Michigan, to collect a load of iron ore when bad weather caused the two-masted, 137-foot-long vessel to run off course,” according to the release.
The crew of the lost ship ended up stranded but was saved.
“The ship’s captain and crew struggled to correct course but ultimately became stranded on nearby Spider Island until weather conditions improved,” the Wisconsin Historical Society notes.
“A tugboat called Spalding was dispatched the following day to attempt recovery of the Frank D. Barker, but was unsuccessful. A later salvage mission in October 1887 and again in June, August, September, and October of 1888 also failed, causing a total loss of the vessel valued around $8,000 at the time—over $250,000 in today’s dollars,” added the news release.
“Whenever we receive this type of call, it’s hard to know exactly what we will find. We were excited to identify the wreck as the Frank D. Barker, whose exact location has been lost for over a century,” said Tamara Thomsen, Wisconsin Historical Society maritime archaeologist, in the release. “We are grateful for Matt Olson’s keen sense of observation and quick reporting of the discovery so we can document this chapter of Wisconsin’s storied maritime history.”
Matt Olson Has Discovered Other Shipwrecks
The Wisconsin Historical Society credits Olson with discovering two other shipwrecks: the Grey Eagle, a schooner that sank in 1869, and the Sunshine, a scow schooner.
“It’s an incredible feeling to come across a shipwreck of this size and in such great condition, especially knowing how long it went undetected. I am honored to play a role in bringing this history to light so folks can better understand Wisconsin’s maritime history,” he said in the release.
The Historical Society described the Frank D. Barker as a “unique” ship for the Great Lakes that was “designed for transporting grain.” It was discovered lying beneath 24 feet of water “between two arms of Barker Shoal,” which was named after it. Historical accounts mistakenly believed it sank closer to Spider Island.
