J. L. Wolverton built Antelope in Newport, Michigan, in 1861 for L. S. Bowtell of Bay City, Michigan.[2] One of the early steamships on the Great Lakes,[2] she carried passengers between Buffalo, New York and Chicago, Illinois.[2] She burned at Buffalo in 1867, but was rebuilt and returned to service.[3] In the 1880s she was converted into a three-mastedschooner barge to haul freight.[2][3][4] Despite the removal of her steam engine and boiler — which made more room for cargo[2] — she continued to carry a funnel for the rest of her career.[2]
On October 7, 1897, Antelope was loaded with 1,000 tons of coal and under tow by the steamship Hiram W. Sibley.[2] Both ships were on a voyage from Sandusky, Ohio, to deliver coal to the Pennsylvania and Ashland Coal Company dock in Ashland, Wisconsin.[2] While approaching Michigan Island in the Apostle Islands, Antelope′s seams opened.[2] She began to take on water more quickly than her pumps could pump it out, and she sank in a reported 360 feet (110 m) of water without loss of life.[2]Hiram W. Sibley rescued her crew.[2] Soon after Antelope sank, the schoonerGawn sighted wreckage, including Antelope′s cabin, floating off Michigan Island.[2]
Wreck
Antelope′s wreck was discovered on September 2, 2016.[3] On February 16, 2018, the wreck was placed on the Wisconsin State Register of Historic Places.[5] It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 2018.[6]
As of September 2016, the wreck sat upright on the lake bottom in over 300 feet (91 m) of water.[3] Two of the three masts remained standing and still had their full rigging, including deadeyes.[3] The forward cabin was intact, and two large wood stocked anchors were still on board.[3] The rudder and ship's wheel lay on the bottom next to the wreck.[3] The stern deckhouse and mizzen mast were missing.[3]
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