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Erosion Uncovers 1890 Schooner Wreck at New Jersey’s Island Beach State Park

Park staff say winter surf exposed wooden remnants linked to the long-missing Lawrence N. McKenzie.

Overview

  • Officials are monitoring the site and warn that touching or removing any pieces is prohibited and may result in summonses from New Jersey State Park Police.
  • Weeks of winter erosion driven by persistent high winds and rough surf revealed large wooden sections on the shoreline.
  • The fragments are identified as part of the roughly 98-foot Lawrence N. McKenzie, reported lost on March 21, 1890.
  • The schooner was carrying oranges from Puerto Rico to New York City when it encountered thick fog near Barnegat.
  • Contemporary reports say a Cedar Creek life-saving crew rescued Captain Lawrence McKenzie and eight men after the captain noted six feet of water in the hold.