This article highlights maritime heritage in Lake Michigan. The Little Harbor launch wasn’t a muscular ship. Measuring nearly 30 feet in length, the boat paled in comparison to the hundred-foot steam-powered vessels ferrying lumber and coal across Lake Michigan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But this little boat, wrecked off the coast of Door County and newly listed on the National Register of Historic Places, can tell us a lot about the history of one of Wisconsin’s favorite vacation spots.

Written by: Jenna Mertz

Publication Date: May 27, 2025