Shipwreck Report: Schooner John B. Wright (1854–1854)

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: John B. Wright (also recorded as J.B. Wright)
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: None (Pre-registration era)
• Vessel Type: Three-Masted Wooden Schooner
• Built: 1854, by Quayle & Martin, Cleveland, Ohio
• Final Location: 2 miles south of Pentwater, Michigan (reported as 70 miles north of Grand Haven, Michigan), Lake Michigan
• Date Lost: October 3, 1854
• Cause: Stranded – Wrecked in subsequent storms
• Final Cargo:
  • Coal
  • 100 kegs of nails
  • Kegs of rivets
  • 700 tierces of beef (barrel-like containers used for shipping meat)
  • 100 tons of grindstones
• Loss of Life: None
• Specifications Length: 139 feet (42.4 meters)  Beam: 26 feet (7.9 meters)  Depth: 11 feet (3.4 meters)
• Tonnage: 384 (Tonnage Old Style) measurement)
• Hull Material: Wood
• Number of Masts: Three
• Owner: Handy, Warner & Co., Cleveland, Ohio
• Master at Loss: Captain C. Gale
• Home Port: Cleveland, Ohio

Operational History

The John B. Wright was a brand-new three-masted Schooner built in 1854 at Cleveland, Ohio, by Quayle & Martin, one of the prominent shipbuilders of the time. She was designed for bulk cargo transport, a role that schooners played in the mid-19th century Great Lakes economy, carrying goods like coal, grain, lumber, and manufactured materials between Cleveland, Buffalo, Chicago, and Milwaukee.

This Schooner was owned by Handy, Warner & Co., a Cleveland-based shipping company, which specialized in moving raw materials for industry. Unfortunately, her career lasted only a few weeks, as she was lost on her maiden voyage.

Final Voyage & Loss (October 3, 1854)

Departure & Route:  The John B. Wright was bound from Cleveland, Ohio, to Chicago, Illinois. She carried a mixed cargo of coal, nails, rivets, preserved beef, and grindstones, likely intended for industrial and commercial use in Chicago.

Incident Details:

• For unknown reasons, the Schooner went ashore about 2 miles south of Pentwater, Michigan.
• Despite being stranded in only 7 feet of water, she could not be freed.
• The crew was rescued by local residents before further damage occurred.
• Subsequent storms battered the vessel, completely destroying her before any salvage could take place.

Aftermath:

Although most of the ship’s Hull was lost, cargo items remained scattered across the lakebed and shoreline. In 1884, salvagers recovered many of the kegs of nails and rivets, but nails from the wreck still occasionally wash ashore in the area.

Wreck Site and Potential Remains

• Location: 2 miles south of Pentwater, Michigan, near the shoreline of Lake Michigan
• Current Condition: 
  • The wooden Hull was destroyed by storms, meaning little structural wreckage is likely left.
  • Some cargo remnants (such as nails, rivets, or grindstones) may still be buried in sand or scattered on the lakebed.
  •  Iron fastenings or metal components from the ship could still exist underwater.

Potential for Discovery:

Given that nails from the wreck have continued to wash ashore, it is possible that buried remains of the ship’s cargo still exist beneath the sand. Metal detectors and sonar mapping could help identify remaining artifacts.

Legacy and Significance

A Shipwreck on Its Maiden Voyage  The John B. Wright was lost on its very first trip, a rare but unfortunate fate for a brand-new Schooner. This reflects how unpredictable and dangerous sailing on the Great Lakes was, even for experienced captains.

The Mystery of Why She Stranded

The exact reason for her stranding remains unknown, raising questions:

• Was it a navigational error?
• Did the vessel experience mechanical problems?
• Did weather or lake currents force her aground? Unfortunately, no detailed records explain why she ran aground in shallow water.

Great Lakes Trade in the 1850s The John B. Wright was a classic example of mid-19th century schooners, carrying industrial cargo across the lakes. Her mixed load of coal, nails, meat, and grindstones highlights the variety of goods transported between major ports.

Cargo Still Washes Ashore

The fact that nails and rivets from the shipwreck were salvaged in 1884—30 years after her loss—indicates how cargo from old shipwrecks can remain preserved underwater for decades. Even today, nails continue to wash up along the shore, serving as reminders of the lost vessel.

Further Research and Resources

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca  Includes historical ship records, wreck reports, and ownership details.
• Michigan Shipwreck Research Association https://www.michiganshipwrecks.org Focuses on shipwreck discovery and research in Michigan waters.
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum https://www.shipwreckmuseum.com Archives shipwrecks lost to storms and navigational hazards.
•  Pentwater Historical Society Museum May have local records or accounts related to the wreck.

Conclusion

The John B. Wright was a large, three-masted Schooner built in Cleveland in 1854. On her maiden voyage, she mysteriously stranded near Pentwater, Michigan, and was destroyed by storms before she could be salvaged.

Her cargo of nails, rivets, beef, and grindstones remained in the lake, with some items salvaged in 1884—30 years after her wreck. Even today, nails from the wreck still wash ashore, serving as a physical reminder of a Schooner lost before she even had a chance to prove herself on the Great Lakes.