Whitefish Dunes State Park in Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Combined in Strength

Photographed by Sean Flynn, August 9, 2024

1. Combined in Strength Marker

Inscription.
Imagine the size of the tree that this wood piece was cut from!

This mass of timber, called deadwood, was placed at the ship's bow, just after the stem post, It provided rigidity and strength, reducing damage when the ship collided with floating objects or another vessel. Most deadwood was made of multiple wood pieces joined together.

Look to your right, the large metal, wood and brass structure was part of the stern.

Known as fish plates, these t-shaped metal plates reinforce and strengthened the wood holding the gudgeon. A pin known as a pintle was inserted into the gudgeon. Pintles supported the rudder and allowed it to move back and forth. Gudgeons and pintles together formed a hinge.

Shipwrecked: Grey Eagle
This 287-ton, two-masted schooner was built by Bidwell, Banta and Co. in Buffalo, New York. On July 10, 1869, a gale drove the schooner ashore near the north point of Whitefish Bay. The vessel was running empty for Green Bay to pick up a lumber cargo. She was abandoned, declared a total loss, and broke up in the shallows.

Erected by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Wisconsin Historical

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Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is July 10, 1869.

Location. 44° 55.584′ N, 87° 10.922′ W. Marker is in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in Door County. It is in Whitefish Dunes State Park. It is on Clark Lake Road 3.9 miles east of Wisconsin Highway 57. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3275 Clark Lake Road, Sturgeon Bay WI 54235, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Wisconsin’s Door Peninsula.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture

and also the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sailing Straight and Strong (here, next to this marker); Keep the Boat Afloat (here, next to this marker); Scow Schooner Ocean Wave (here,

Photographed by Sean Flynn, August 9, 2024

2. Combined in Strength Marker

The marker and several others sit alongside Whitefish Bay shipwrecks. Lake Michigan and the Whitefish Dunes beach are in the background behind the trees.

next to this marker); Ship's Skeleton (here, next to this marker); Anchors Aweigh! (here, next to this marker); Why Do Ships Wreck? (a few steps from this marker); From Wind to Steam (a few steps from this marker); Shipwrecks Tell Stories (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Sturgeon Bay.

More about this marker. This historical marker is one of nine placed around artifacts from shipwrecks.

Also see . . . Wisconsin Shipwrecks: Grey Eagle. A history of the Grey Eagle, which wrecked in Whitefish Bay in 1869. (Submitted on August 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)

Photographed by Sean Flynn, August 9, 2024

3. Combined in Strength Marker

The marker and several others sit alongside Whitefish Bay shipwreck artifacts. Lake Michigan is in the far background.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 15, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 156 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.