PESHTIGO, WI What started as a simple father-daughter fishing trip turned into an extraordinary historical discovery when Tim Wollak and his five-year-old, Henley, accidentally uncovered a 19th-century shipwreck near Green Island in Green Bay. The wreck? The George L. Newman, a lumber schooner lost in 1871 one of 13 newly identified Wisconsin shipwrecks last year, many found purely by chance.
For Henley, it was just another adventure with Dad. For historians, it was a rare glimpse into a maritime tragedy tied to one of America’s deadliest wildfires. Here’s how a kindergartener and her father became unlikely archaeologists and why their find matters.
A Fishing Trip Turned Time Travel
Tim Wollak didn’t expect much when he took Henley to their favorite fishing spot near Green Island last summer. But when his fish finder’s side-scan sonar pinged an unusual shape 9 meters (30 feet) below, curiosity took over.
“It looked like a shipwreck,” Tim recalls. Henley, giggling, thought it might be the mythical “Green Bay octopus.” After snapping photos and sharing them online, they caught the attention of the Wisconsin Historical Society. What they’d found wasn’t just debris, it was a forgotten piece of history.
The Ghost Ship of Green Bay
The wreck was identified as the George L. Newman, a wooden schooner built in 1855 to transport lumber across Lake Michigan. On October 8, 1871 the same night as the Great Chicago Fire the ship was sailing south from Little Suamico when disaster struck.
Smoke from the Great Peshtigo Fire (which killed 1,200 people, making it America’s deadliest wildfire) engulfed the area, blinding the crew. The ship veered off course, slamming into Green Island’s reefs. Miraculously, a nearby lighthouse keeper rescued all hands but the Newman sank, lost for 152 years… until a five-year-old spotted it.
Why This Shipwreck Was Missing for So Long
Maritime archaeologist Jordan Ciesielczyk explains: shifting sand levels in Green Bay likely buried and uncovered the wreck over decades. “Shipwrecks are time capsules,” he says. “This one was hiding in plain sight.”
The Newman is one of 13 newly documented wrecks in Wisconsin waters last year most discovered accidentally by boaters, fishermen, and even kids like Henley.
A Kindergarten Archaeologist’s Big Moment
Henley, now celebrated at her school as a pint-sized explorer, beams when recalling the discovery. “I thought it was cool!” she says. For Tim, the real reward was sparking her curiosity: “She asks questions about history now, how ships worked, what life was like back then.”
The Wisconsin Historical Society plans to send divers to study the wreck further, potentially adding it to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Peshtigo Fire’s Forgotten Legacy
While the Chicago Fire dominates history books, the Peshtigo Fire was far deadlier—and Newman’s wreck is a tangible link to that night. Ciesielczyk notes that shipwrecks like this “tell human stories beyond textbooks.”
For Henley, it’s a thrilling tale of adventure. For historians, it’s a reminder that the past isn’t always buried deep sometimes, it’s just below the surface, waiting for a curious kid to find it.
What’s Next for the Wreck?
The Historical Society will map and photograph the Newman to preserve its story. Meanwhile, Henley’s love for history keeps growing. “Maybe I’ll find more shipwrecks,” she says with a grin.
After all, the best discoveries often start with a simple question and in this case, it was a five-year-old’s: “Dad, what’s that weird thing underwater?”
Reported by Pari Apostolakos, NBC 26
Why This Matters
- 13 shipwrecks were discovered in Wisconsin in 2023 alone.
- The Great Peshtigo Fire (1871) remains the deadliest in U.S. history, yet few know its full impact.
- Chance discoveries by civilians, even kids are reshaping maritime archaeology.
Would you recognize a shipwreck if you saw one? As Henley proves, history might be closer than you think.
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Jan loves Wildlife and Animals and is one of the founders of Animals Around The Globe. He holds an MSc in Finance & Economics and is a passionate PADI Open Water Diver. His favorite animals are Mountain Gorillas, Tigers, and Great White Sharks. He lived in South Africa, Germany, the USA, Ireland, Italy, China, and Australia. Before AATG, Jan worked for Google, Axel Springer, BMW and others.
