A Davidson Goliath Multi-Cache
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Size: 
(small)
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This is a multicache that will take you to four places that tell the story of Captain James Davidson’s success in shipbuilding and the sinking of the wooden bulk carrier Appomattox. There is a distance of approximately 0.4 miles from beginning to end along paved paths, wooden walkways and sandy terrain. This cache involves a long hike and can be strenuous. The final is in a small square container!
NOTE: Finding this cache will require some planning. Access to certain locations are restricted and CANNOT be accessed between 10 pm and 5 am. Please be mindful of all rules and regulations of the locations. The coordinates for the first leg are: 43° 05.468’ N 087° 52.402’ W NOTE: When you arrive at this location, DO NOT climb on structure. Between 1870 and 1903, shipbuilder James Davidson built 103 of some of the largest wooden vessels ever constructed. At a time when many shipbuilders were building iron and steel hulled vessels, Davidson continued to build massive wooden ships at his shipyard in West Bay City, Michigan. One such vessel, the Appomattox, built in 1896, was the largest wooden bulk carrier ever built on the Great Lakes, measuring nearly 320 feet in length. It was the innovative use of steel cross bracing, keelson plates, and hogging arches that made such the massive oak hull possible. Today, the vessel lies 350 yards east of where you are standing. During the summer months, you can see a mooring buoy marking the vessel’s position. Use the ordinance number on the sign at the edge of the park to decipher coordinates for the next location. Ordinance number = _ _ _ ABC A3° B5.571’ N B87° 52.A37’ W NOTE: When walking to the next location, keep to the beach. If you stay on the beach or in the water, it is publicly accessible. All beaches in Wisconsin are public land. Please be mindful that you do not straying onto the neighbors’ property. The ordinary high water mark defines the boundary between what is private and what is public- this is where vegetation grows- and you should not go onto areas with vegetation. From this location, you can look out into the water to the location of the Appomattox’s starboard side. When the water is clear, you can see the outline of the 150 foot long hull section from here. In November of 1905, Appomattox ran aground in an industrial fog while towing the schooner Santiago. Though the Santiago was eventually freed, the larger Appomattox was declared a total loss. Years of wave and ice action, and salvage attempts, eventually broke the vessel up, and sections of the outer hull now lie scattered throughout the bay. To date, two large sections of Appomattox have been identified by comparison to the main wreck site: (1) the section of the starboard hull here (recorded in 2010), and (2) a section of the port hull located over a half mile to the northeast from this location (recorded in 2014). Count the number of piers to the south of your location and add it to the year the starboard hull section was recorded to decipher the next coordinates. Number of piers = _ + 2010 = _ _ _ _GHIJ 4J° H5.4J6’ N H87° 5G.46G’ W Read the marker to learn more about the Appomattox and James Davidson. From this location, you can see the entire Appomattox site. The area you see is currently designated as a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places. To decipher the final coordinates, add 502 to the tonnage of ore Appomattox could carry. Tonnage of ore= _ _ _ _ + 502 = +_ _ _ _ KLMN 4K° ML.K6N’ N M87° LN.K7M’ W This cache was placed as a partnership with Wisconsin Historical Society, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, the Village of Shorewood, and the National Park Service’s Maritime Heritage Grant. We hope you enjoyed learning about Davidson’s Goliaths. To learn more about Wisconsin’s maritime heritage please visit our other geocaches in the Milwaukee area and throughout the state, or visit wisconsinshipwrecks.org and maritimetrails.org!
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Nobir sbhegu qenva sebz fgnvef
Treasures
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