AH-WR-1686

Willard A. Smith

Schooner · Lost 1893 · Door County & Lake Michigan

A wood-laden schooner was wrecked at Horseshoe Bay in 1893; remnants were found in 1963.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Willard A. Smith was built at Charlevoix in 1875 and operated as a wooden two-masted schooner. After loading wood at Anderson’s pier, her master delayed departure on Friday evening because the weather threatened. On October 14, 1893, a severe gale shifted west, trapping the anchored vessel against the lee shore; her crew abandoned her and she pounded to pieces. Her document was surrendered at Milwaukee on March 15, 1895, as abandoned. R.J. Boyd and H.J. Engerson found remnants in 1963, and a kedge anchor was raised from about 20 feet.

Vessel

Built: 1875
Registry: US registry no. 80587
Builder: Not established
Yard: Charlevoix, Michigan
Material: Wood
Length: 44 ft
Beam: 14 ft
Tonnage: 44.22 gross tons
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Eugene Cordler and Captain Hans Peterson

Loss

Date: October 14, 1893
Cause: Storm
Location: Anderson’s pier, Horseshoe Bay, Green Bay
Water: Green Bay (Lake Michigan)
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Wood, freshly loaded at Anderson’s pier
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Inventory describes a few ribs and planking remaining.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1963
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 45.01° N 87.33° W
Accuracy: Reported, unconfirmed
Nearest: Egg Harbor, Door County, Wisconsin
Region: Door County & Lake Michigan

Converted directly from the inventory’s published degrees and decimal minutes; no authoritative coordinate survey was reviewed. Map legend alone does not establish verification.