The Gallinipper was a schooner that went down in Lake Michigan near the shores of Centerville in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. The site of the wreck was officially recognized and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010.
The vessel originally named Nancy Dousman was constructed in 1833 by shipbuilders Augustus Jones and G.W. Cochran along the Black River in Ohio. Commissioned by Michael Dousman—western agent for John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company—the schooner was named after his daughter, Nancy. Designed to support the fur trade, the ship transported goods from the eastern United States to the developing frontier of the Wisconsin Territory and returned with furs bound for eastern markets. In addition to freight, she carried company employees, passengers, and settlers heading west.
Beyond his involvement with the fur trade, Dousman established a warehouse, gristmill, and sawmill in Milwaukee in 1835. He relied on the Nancy Dousman to bring in supplies and ship grain from Wisconsin to the East.
Over time, the vessel changed hands multiple times. Despite running aground on at least two occasions, she was successfully refloated each time. In 1846, shipbuilder Henry Gibson rebuilt and expanded her cargo capacity in Milwaukee. Following the reconstruction, she was renamed Gallinipper and resumed service, now focused on hauling lumber and operating out of Milwaukee. She continued to switch owners and experienced a series of mishaps, including sinking near Beaver Island in Lake Michigan on July 7, 1848, running aground in Milwaukee in 1850, and sinking again at the mouth of the Milwaukee River in May 1851. Each time, the vessel was recovered and returned to service.
On July 7, 1851, while sailing from Milwaukee to Bay de Noque, Michigan, to collect a load of lumber, the Gallinipper encountered a rain squall approximately 8 to 10 nautical miles off the coast of Wisconsin between Manitowoc and Sheboygan. With seven crew members and two passengers aboard, the ship capsized. Though she righted herself, she capsized a second time, prompting the crew and passengers to abandon ship. They were rescued by the schooner Cleopatra.
The Gallinipper, heavily waterlogged, remained mostly submerged but did not immediately sink. She was sighted two days later on July 9 by the schooner Crook, which reported her as nearly submerged. An attempt to tow her by the schooner Convoy failed; the crew salvaged the mainsail, main boom, and main gaff before abandoning her about 10 nautical miles southeast by east of Manitowoc. Despite search efforts led by her captain, the vessel was never seen again and was presumed lost. She was valued at $3,000 and insured for $2,000 at the time of her disappearance.
The wreck of the Gallinipper was located in 1994 when a commercial fisherman’s net became entangled on it in 210 feet (64 meters) of water. However, the identity of the vessel remained unknown until 2009, when the Wisconsin Historical Society conducted an archaeological survey that confirmed it as the long-lost schooner. On December 28, 2010, the wreck site was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. Later, in 2021, it was included within the boundaries of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
The Gallinipper is the oldest confirmed shipwreck in Wisconsin’s waters. It represents a rare surviving example of an early Great Lakes trading schooner. Such vessels played a crucial role in supporting commerce and communication between remote frontier communities and larger cities in the eastern United States, particularly on the western Great Lakes. Yet, despite their historical significance, few were built for this region, and even fewer remain today.
The wreck rests on the lakebed off the coast of Centerville in Manitowoc County, about 9.5 miles (15.3 kilometers) east of Hika Bay Park. It sits upright with its bow raised slightly above the stern and leans about 20 degrees to the starboard side. The hull remains largely intact but is covered with layers of silt and invasive mussels.
Much of the ship’s rigging has been damaged, mainly due to fishing nets becoming snagged on the wreck. In attempts to retrieve the nets, significant structural harm was done—most notably, the mainmast was dislodged from its base and now lies tilted over the bow. The foremast broke free entirely, eventually surfacing. Other parts of the rigging—including a boom, gaff, topmast, and two yards—now rest on the lakebed along the starboard side. Fishing nets are still visible wrapped around the stern and draped across both the deck and mainmast.
Today, Gallinipper’s foremast is preserved and on public display at the Rogers Street Fishing Village in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
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