Whitefish Dunes State Park in Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Anchors Aweigh!
Photographed by Sean Flynn, August 9, 2024
1. Anchors Aweigh! Marker
How do you lose your anchor?
A violent storm can break the anchor chain causing the ship to crash onto shore. Other times, anchors get hung up on the lake bottom, when sailors can't break them loose, they are abandoned.
The stock anchor is the most familiar anchor shape known to non-sailors.
The anchor lands on its crown, then tilt with the stock resting on the bottom and arms parallel. As strain comes onto the chain, the stock will dig into the bottom and twist the shank until one of the palms catches and digs in.
This anchor was discovered during a dredging operation in Sturgeon Bay. It was used during the 1800s on a wooden schooner or steamer.
Shipwrecked: James Garrett
A 266-ton three mastered schooner built by Stokes & Locklin at Sheboygan, Wisconsin. On 29, May 1889, while approaching the pier at Whitefish Bay to load lumber, her captain made an error and set his anchor too far from the pier. Rather than raising and resetting the anchor, he added a length of hawser to the anchor chain to allow the vessel to reach the pier. That night, a storm arose and the hawser ported. The vessel was driven onto the
this page online
Erected by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; Wisconsin Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lost at Sea series list. A significant historical date for this entry is May 29, 1889.
Location. 44° 55.586′ N, 87° 10.926′ W. Marker is in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in Door County. It is in Whitefish Dunes State Park. It can be reached from Clark Lake Road near Wisconsin Highway 57. The marker is near several shipwreck artifacts placed between the parking lot and the bluff overlooking Lake Michigan. 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
Photographed by Sean Flynn, August 9, 2024
2. Anchors Aweigh! Marker
The marker sits next to the anchor referenced on its text.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Ship's Skeleton (here, next to this marker); Scow Schooner Ocean Wave (here, next to this marker); Sailing Straight and Strong (here, next to this marker); Keep the Boat Afloat (here, next to this marker); Combined in Strength (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: James Garrett. A history of the James Garrett
Excerpt: "'During the storm of three weeks ago a part of the wreck of the old schooner James Garrett was loosened and carried along the south side of the pier at Whitefish Bay where it remained for some little time. The heavy northeaster of last week carried the wreckage(Submitted on August 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)out into the lake, and that is the last seen of it...' Door County Advocate 4/12/1890"Photographed by Sean Flynn, August 9, 20243. Shipwreck markersThe anchor can be seen in the far background of this photo, which shows the set of markers and shipwreck artifacts that sit between the parking lot and Lake Michigan at Whitefish Dunes State Park.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 176 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 13, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 3. submitted on August 12, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
