The Frank O'Connor is a valuable archeological and recreational resource. The ship appears to be unique in the Door County area as one of the few surviving historic steam vessels whose machinery is still largely intact and upright. It also represents the terminal period in wooden bulk carrier construction, and was a product of the noted James Davidson Bay City yard. 

The Frank O'Connor is owned by the State of Wisconsin and is managed by the Wisconsin Historical Society with assistance from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Like all historic shipwrecks in Wisconsin waters, the O'Connor is protected under Wisconsin law as a state-owned archaeological site.

As with many other wrecks in the Great Lakes, zebra mussels have colonized the Frank O'Connor. These prolific mollusks are very difficult to control, and further colonization appears inevitable.

Through the research conducted by the Wisconsin Historical Society, the Frank O'Connor was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

You can learn more about the O'Connor's history and archeological findings in " Davidson's Goliaths: Underwater Archeological Investigations of the Steamer Frank O'Connor and the Schooner-Barge Pretoria," by David J. Cooper and John O. Jensen.

Learn more about Protecting Our Heritage in the Diver's Area.