Identification & Site Information

• Name: SCOTLAND
• Other Names: None reported
• Official Number: 22274
• Date Built and Launched: 1845
• Builder: Perrysburgh, Ohio
• Original Home Port: Oswego, New York
• Vessel Type: Schooner (also reported as a Brig)
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Power:
• Number of Masts: 2
• Measurements:
• Tonnage (Old Style): 187.65 tons
• Later remeasured: 144 gross tons (1865), 143.87 gross tons (1868)
• Later Owners:
• 1860: Sliedel, Chicago, Illinois
• 1863: Farnham & Hodge, Buffalo, New York
• 1866: Boland & Ryan, Buffalo, New York

Vessel Type

The SCOTLAND was a two-masted wooden Schooner, though some records describe it as a Brig (a sailing vessel with square sails on both masts). Built in Perrysburgh, Ohio, in 1845, it was originally enrolled in Oswego, New York, making it part of the mid-19th-century Great Lakes shipping industry.

Designed for bulk cargo transport, the SCOTLAND was primarily engaged in carrying lumber, grain, and other freight between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and Lake Michigan ports.

History

The SCOTLAND had an eventful career, suffering multiple groundings, wrecks, and repairs over its 27-year service life.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1845: Enrolled in Oswego, New York.
• 1847, February: Broke loose in a storm in Oswego Harbor, ending up on the rocks alongside the Brig MANHATTAN and Schooner Moses And Elias.
• 1848, November: Stranded and wrecked on Claybanks Bluffs near Port Stanley, Ontario, Lake Ontario.
• 1860: Purchased by Sliedel of Chicago, Illinois.
• 1861 & 1863: Underwent large-scale repairs to remain operational.
• 1863: Ownership transferred to Farnham & Hodge of Buffalo, New York.
• 1865: Officially measured at 144 gross tons.
• 1866: Purchased by Boland & Ryan, Buffalo, New York and underwent further renovations.
• 1867: Thorough repair completed in Buffalo. Operated on the Toledo-to-Buffalo trade route.
• 1868: Official tonnage adjusted to 143.87 gross tons.
• 1869, Fall: Went ashore at Pigeon Bay.
• 1870, April: Released by the Tug MAGNET and towed to Detroit for repairs.

Final Disposition

The SCOTLAND met its final fate on November 8, 1872, when it wrecked in Lake Michigan near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, carrying a cargo of lumber.

• The vessel first stranded near Michigan City, Indiana but was later wrecked near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• Given the prevalence of early November storms, it is likely that high winds and rough seas contributed to its loss.

This marked the end of a vessel that had already survived multiple disasters and undergone numerous rebuilds over its long career.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the SCOTLAND‘s wreck location being discovered or surveyed.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, or Michigan City, Indiana.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File

Conclusion

The SCOTLAND represents a typical mid-19th-century wooden Schooner, serving in the lumber and grain trade on the Great Lakes. Despite multiple groundings and wrecks, the vessel remained operational for over two decades before its final loss in 1872.

Like many Great Lakes schooners, it was essential to commerce but also highly vulnerable to storms, collisions, and structural failures. Its final wrecking near Milwaukee reflects the hazards faced by wooden sailing vessels in the storm-prone waters of Lake Michigan.

If you’d like to learn more about other schooners wrecked in Lake Michigan or shipwrecks near Milwaukee, let me know!