The scow schooner I.A. Johnson was constructed in early 1867 under the supervision of Master Carpenter J.A. Johnson at a shipyard in Dover Bay, Ohio. The I.A. Johnson exchanged ownership often, especially in its early years of operation. The vessel was primarily used to ship lumber on Lake Michigan, occasionally transporting foodstuffs and merchandise. It ran ashore near Buffalo in 1867 and collided with an unknown ship in 1869. News reports indicated that in 1877 I.A. Johnson was supposedly seized by the U.S. Marshal service and it was said to have been auctioned to a John Saveland for $248. This event, however, is not supported by the vessel's enrollment documents.

In May of 1880, I.A. Johnson was purchased by the C.B. Freyberg & Brothers Company for $2,500. It would spend the next 10 years of service under them. The vessel was purchased for the use in the lumber trade with Martin Coyne as Master. The Freyberg Brothers were influential in Wisconsin’s lumber industry along the Lake Michigan coast. Brothers Charles Bernard (C.B.), Albert, and Herman Freyberg were born in Germany and immigrated to the United States with their family in 1852. Under Freyberg ownership, the scow would transport lumber from the Freyberg operations on Washington Island and northern Door County to the company's mill in Sheboygan. The vessel would return to Washington Island with groceries for the store owned by the Freyberg's.
I.A. Johnson left Sheboygan on the evening of September 22, 1890, carrying a load of provisions and goods for the Freyberg store at Washington Island. In the early morning hours, the scow schooner collided with the schooner Lincoln Dall. Captain Ed McCall of the Lincoln Dall claimed that he saw the scow, but he had right of way and assumed the scow would change its course. Neither vessel altered course. I.A. Johnson was heavily damaged and began to take on water at its bow. Its crew members abandoned ship and were taken aboard the Lincoln Dall that remained on the scene. About an hour later the Sheboygan Lifesaving Station spotted the laboring I.A. Johnson still partially afloat and commissioned the tug Sheboygan to tow the vessel back into port. The Sheboygan hooked a tow line to the stern of the scow, however, towing did not last long. The stern of the I.A. Johnson was torn off, and the scow-schooner sunk immediately to the bottom. The ship and its cargo were declared a total loss.
The I.A. Johnson shipwreck site was discovered and reported to the Wisconsin Historical Society by Steve Radovan in 2015. Archaeologists and volunteers visited the site in June 2016 and took video and photo data, but did not survey the wreck until August 2018. I.A. Johnson lies broken along the sandy bottom in 93 feet of water. All components of the vessel remain on the site. The scow is well-preserved and represents the wreck site entire vessel including its deck implements and cargo.