Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

Description

The J. & A. Stronach was a three-masted Schooner built in 1854 by George Barber of Milwaukee for John and Andrew Stronach of Manistee, Michigan. Intended for the lumber trade, she carried timber from Manistee mills to Milwaukee and beyond. Measuring 110 feet in length, the vessel was typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes schooners, optimized for bulk cargo and shallow-Draft operation. She was later renamed A.B.C.F.M. under the ownership of L.E. Merrill, who repurposed her as both a lumber carrier and symbolic mission vessel.

History

The Schooner served the lumber industry for nearly five decades. She supplied much of the timber used in Milwaukee during the Civil War era. Key events include:

• 1854: Launched in Milwaukee for the Stronach brothers’ lumber trade.
• 1855: Capsized in Milwaukee Harbor.
• 1856: Sank after collision with Schooner Telegraph off Point Sable; later recovered.
• 1869: Struck by lightning near Port Washington; Captain Hall was temporarily incapacitated.
• 1870: Rebuilt and lengthened at Manitowoc, tonnage adjusted to ~143 GT.
• 1878: Sold at U.S. Marshal auction in Manitowoc after being libeled for debts.
• 1880: Traded for the Schooner Annie O. Hanson.
• 1881: Purchased by L.E. Merrill of Chicago and renamed A.B.C.F.M.; sister Schooner renamed Z.Y.M.C.A.
• 1884: Wrecked at Gills Pier; raised and repaired in Milwaukee.
• 1885–1899: Operated under Milwaukee ownership, still in lumber trade.
• 1902: Abandoned in Greenfield Avenue Slip, Kinnickinnic River, Milwaukee; subsequently towed and scuttled offshore.

Final Dispositions

By 1902 the vessel was obsolete, reflecting the decline of wooden schooners. She was Abandoned in Milwaukee and intentionally scuttled off the city in May 1902. No wreckage coordinates were recorded. Her fate mirrors many contemporaries whose hulls were discarded offshore.

Located By & Date Found

No diver documentation or archaeological survey has confirmed the remains of the A.B.C.F.M. / J. & A. Stronach. Her wreck site likely lies in sediment offshore Milwaukee.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No current Notices to Mariners are associated with the wreck site. The vessel poses no navigational hazard.

Dive Information

Access: Unknown
Entry Point: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Conditions: Typical Lake Michigan offshore conditions (variable Visibility, strong currents)
Depth Range: Not recorded (shallow scuttling site)
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan; Milwaukee Fire Department
Permits: Required for archaeological disturbance
Dive Support: Charter and dive shops operate from Milwaukee but no known expeditions to this site

Crew & Casualty Memorials

No recorded fatalities are associated with the Stronach. Crew lists are incomplete. Memorials specific to the vessel have not been identified.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“In 1881, L.E. Merrill of Chicago renamed the Schooner J. & A. Stronach as A.B.C.F.M. for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, with the warning that her likeness must never be displayed in a saloon or brothel.” – Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

Official number 12978. Registered at Milwaukee (1854). Re-enrolled after Rebuild at Manitowoc (1870). Ownership transferred multiple times before final abandonment. Registry closed 1902 after scuttling.

Site Documentation & Imaging

The vessel is documented in Wisconsin Shipwrecks, the Milwaukee Public Library collections, and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society. No physical wreck surveys have been completed.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks – J. & A. Stronach / A.B.C.F.M.
• Baillod – Milwaukee’s Abandoned Schooners
• Links to the Past – Milwaukee Marine History
• Chequamegon History

References

1. Wisconsin Historical Society – Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database.
2. Baillod, Brendon – Milwaukee Abandoned Schooner Survey.
3. Milwaukee Public Library – Great Lakes Marine Collection.
4. Contemporary newspaper accounts (Milwaukee Sentinel, Chicago Tribune, 1854–1902).

NOAA Shipwreck Record Card