On the evening of April 8, 1894, things went terribly wrong for a sailing ship that was just off the shore of Sheboygan. It would be the final voyage for the Lottie Cooper, but the trip wasn’t quite over. More than a century after this ship ran into big trouble, it’s resting quietly in a Sheboygan park. It’s a fascinating bit of history that’s slowly disappearing. Here’s why you need to see this old boat while you still can.
The Lottie Cooper was a three-masted schooner. It was built for the Truman-Cooper Lumber and Flour Mill 1876 in the shipbuilding town of Manitowoc, not far from its final resting place.
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The schooner was large – 131 feet long with a beam of 27 feet. Its home port was Milwaukee and it carried cargo around the Great Lakes.
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The Lottie Cooper met her demise as she was carrying a big load of elm wood from Pine Lake, Michigan to Sheboygan. As it was coming into Sheboygan, it ran into a big northwest gale.
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The captain unsuccessfully signaled for help from a tugboat and ultimately the crew dropped anchor to ride out the storm. In the morning, the ship sank and five crew members were rescued. A sixth drowned.
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Lumber washed off the sinking boat ashore, but the lake swallowed the hull and it was covered by silt and forgotten.
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During the construction of some boat ramps in 1992, the boat was rediscovered and brought ashore. It was placed in Deland Park, right along the Sheboygan lakefront. Visitors can view the old wreck and imagine its days on the lake, but time and the elements are slowly taking a toll on the old vessel. See it while you can!
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While the Lottie Cooper rests on the shore, there are dozens of shipwrecks still underwater near Sheboygan. The town is popular for scuba divers and of course, anyone who loves a good bratwurst.
Google / Ramy Stein
Facebook / Visit Sheboygan
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Google / David Fambrough
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Address: Historical Landmark: Lottie Cooper, Sheboygan, WI 53081, USA
