Identification & Site Information

• Name: ATALANTA
• Other Names: None reported
• Official Number: 375
• Date Built and Launched: 1863
• Builder: George Fordham, Toledo, Ohio
• Homeport: Chicago, Illinois (Owned and sailed by Capt. Thomas Miller)
• Vessel Type: Three-masted wooden schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Power: Sail-powered
• Measurements:
• Tonnage: 268 tons
• Primary Cargo: Lumber transport

Vessel Type

The ATALANTA was a large wooden schooner, built for hauling lumber across the Great Lakes. By the 1860s, the lumber industry was booming in Michigan and Wisconsin, and vessels like the ATALANTA were essential for transporting logs, planks, and finished lumber from the Great Lakes forests to cities like Chicago, Milwaukee, and Detroit. Its size and tonnage made it well-suited for carrying heavy cargoes, but also vulnerable to storms, especially when loaded with Deck cargo that could shift or catch the wind.

History

The ATALANTA had a 15-year career, primarily carrying lumber before being lost in a storm in 1878.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1863: Built in Toledo, Ohio, by George Fordham, launched as a lumber Schooner.
• 1863-1878: Operated primarily out of Chicago, owned and captained by Thomas Miller.
• June 21, 1878: Wrecked near Sleeping Bear Point, Lake Michigan.

Final Disposition

The ATALANTA was lost on June 21, 1878, when it ran aground in a storm near Sleeping Bear Point, Michigan.

The Disaster

• The vessel was hauling a load of lumber when a storm struck Lake Michigan.
• Pushed ashore by high winds and waves, the Schooner grounded at Sleeping Bear Point.
• By June 25, 1878, waves had completely pounded the ship to pieces, making salvage impossible.
• No loss of life was reported, suggesting that the crew made it to shore safely.

The wreck was likely scavenged for lumber, a common practice at the time, leaving little to no remains of the ship today.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the ATALANTA‘s wreck being discovered or documented near Sleeping Bear Point, Michigan.

Due to its wooden construction and exposure to wave action, any remains may be buried in the sand or destroyed over time.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Sleeping Bear Point, Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Wikipidia – Sleeping Bear Point

Conclusion

The ATALANTA was one of many lumber schooners lost in Lake Michigan storms, reflecting the hazards faced by wooden sailing ships transporting heavy cargoes.

Its loss near Sleeping Bear Point is one of several shipwrecks in the area, highlighting how the treacherous shoreline and shifting sands made this one of the most dangerous parts of the lake.

If you’d like to learn more about shipwrecks near Sleeping Bear Point, Great Lakes lumber transport, or storm-related wrecks on Lake Michigan, let me know!