KATE KELLY (Shipwreck) - Wind Point, WI - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

From the historical marker located at the Windpoint Lighthouse:

Type: Wooden schooner, two-masted
Built: 1867, Martell, Tonawanda, N.Y.; rebuilt 1875-1876
Sank: May, 14, 1895
Length: 126’ Beam: 25’
Cargo: Grain, coal, and lumber
Depth: 55’
Lives Lost: 7

About two miles offshore from here, the wooden schooner Kate Kelly lies broken and scattered in 55 feet of water. She had departed Alpena, Mich., in early May 1895, loaded with railroad ties and bound for her home port of Chicago. In command was Captain Hartley J. Hatch, one of the Great Lakes’ most experienced captains. He had led Great Lakes schooners and steamers on trips to South Africa, the Mediterranean Sea, and Europe. Captain Hatch was also an inventor and had outfitted the Kate Kelly with novel life-saving devices that were “a wonder to all lakemen.”

On May 13, the Kate Kelly encountered a raging storm that proved too much for her and Captain Hatch’s inventions. She sank just short of her home port, as farmers watched helplessly from the shore. Soon, the only signs of the Kate Kelly were her masts protruding from the water and thousands of railroad ties floating off Wind Point. Captain Hatch and all six crewmen perished.

During her three decades of service, the Kate Kelly made many long trips hauling grain and coal between Lake Michigan ports and Kingston, Ontario. Similar wooden schooners dominated Great Lakes shipping after the Civil War. Even with stiff competition from steam vessels, the adaptable vessels survived on the lakes into the 1930’s.

Photo captions:
Top left: Historic photo of the schooner Beers, similar to the Kate Kelly. Image courtesy of Historic Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University
Bottom left: Donkey engine gear, used for raising anchors and sails.
Underwater archaeologists prepare detailed drawings of the Kate Kelly during an investigation of the site. This study provides a wealth of information about nineteenth century maritime life and ship construction, while assisting in the management and preservation of the site.
Right: Archaeological Site Plan

Street address: 4725 Lighthouse Dr. Racine, WI USA 53402 County / Borough / Parish: Racine County Year listed: 2007 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Maritime History, Commerce, Historic - Non-Aboriginal Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1850-1874 Historic function: Transportation Current function: Vacant/Not in Use Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
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