O J Walker
Year Built
1862
Year Sank
1895
Depth
65 ft (19.8 m)
Difficulty Level
Intermediate
O J Walker
Wreck Location
Approximately 3/4 of a mile west of the north end of the Burlington breakwater.
~ GPS Shipwreck Location ~
Latitude: 44° 28' 43.2012" N Longitude: -73° 14' 26.4012" W
Description
The O.J. Walker was built in Burlington in 1862 and named after on the region’s leading merchants, Obadiah Johnson Walker. For over 30 years this vessel carried a variety of heavy cargoes. In May of 1895 the schooner took on a load of bricks and roofing tile from the Brown brick maker at Milton, Vermont. The O.J. Walker was attempting to make the port of Burlington when heavy seas caused her to spring a leak. As the ship rapidly filled with water, the cargo shifted, spilling some of it into the lake. The schooner then righted it self just before it sank beneath the waves.