On October 23, 1884, Christina Nilsson cleared Escanaba, Michigan, bound for Chicago, Illinois, with a cargo of pig iron.[3] When a blizzard hit the area that day, her captain attempted to make port at Baileys Harbor, but, while still trying to navigate through the storm, Christina Nilsson struck a reef off Baileys Harbor and foundered.[4] All crew members survived.
The ship's cargo was recovered, but attempts to salvageChristina Nilsson herself were unsuccessful.[5] The wreck site has been investigated by the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association since 1997.[6]