were abandoned
at the Sturgeon Bay Stone Company's Bullhead Point wharf.
The 1929 stock market crash and subsequent depression
ensured that the vessels would never again carry a load
of stone. Their collective value was placed at $7,000
before final abandonment.
It
is unclear exactly when the Ida Corning and Oak
Leaf were taken out of service, though the Oak Leaf's
near-shore position suggests she was laid up first. The Door
County Advocate, a local newspaper that kept close tabs
on the vessels during their working lives, last referred
to the two as functioning stone barges in 1920. The Empire State, located at the head of the point, was
reportedly used to extend the company's dock into deeper water
in 1916.
For
many years, the three hulks were popular recreational venues
for many Sturgeon Bay residents. However, the Sturgeon Bay
Stone Company burned all three vessels to the waterline in
1931 to prevent potential litigation by an injured swimmer
or fisherman.
 |
| The three Bullhead
Point shipwrecks at their final resting place in Sturgeon
Bay |
|
