Visit Wisconsin's Maritime Trails

The Frank O'Connor lies 2.6 miles NNE of Cana Island on the Lake Michigan side of Door County. The wreckage of the 300-foot-long vessel sits in 65 feet of water. Two seasonal WHS mooring buoys mark the bow and the engine.

In 1892, the innovative shipbuilder James Davidson pushed the art of wooden ship construction past the 300-foot mark with the launching of the City of Naples, renamed the Frank O'Connor in 1916. Heavily braced with iron and steel and propelled by a powerful steam engine, the O'Connor logged 27 years of service on the Great Lakes. On Sept. 29, 1919, she departed Buffalo carrying 3,000 tons of coal, bound for Milwaukee. Fire struck on the afternoon of Oct. 2. The captain ran for shore, but roughly an hour later the blaze burned away the steering gear. The crew escaped in lifeboats, leaving the helpless O'Connor to burn well into the night. She finally sank about two miles from Cana Island.

Today, the O'Connor's strong lower hull remains intact, displaying the iron and steel scraping, multiple floor keelsons, and heavy ceiling planking that allowed 'Davidson's Goliaths' to reach their great lengths. The bow holds the contents of the chain locker and other gear, while more artifacts surround the museum-quality machinery in the stern.