Identification & Site Information

• Name: Uncle Sam
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: None
• Date Built & Launched: 1833
• Builder: Treat, Grosse Ile, Michigan
• Specifications: 107 ft x 23 ft x 7 ft (32.6 m x 7.0 m x 2.1 m), 280 tons
• Vessel Type: Originally a Sidewheel Steamer, later converted to a Bark (1844), then a Schooner (by 1847) 
• Date Lost: December 18, 1847
• Place of Loss: East side of Kelley’s Island (formerly known as Cunningham’s Island), Lake Erie
• Cause of Loss: Stranded and sank in a northeast gale
• Loss of Life: None
• Cargo: Lumber
• Owner: J. Stafford, Buffalo, New York 
• Master at Loss: Captain C. J. Magill

Vessel Type

The Uncle Sam had a unique career, originally built in 1833 as a wooden Sidewheel Steamer. By 1844, it was Rebuilt into a Bark, a type of square-rigged sailing vessel. Later, by 1847, the ship had been converted again into a Schooner, reflecting the shifting needs of Great Lakes shipping at the time.

Description & History

The Uncle Sam was built in 1833 on Grosse Ile, Michigan, by a shipbuilder named Treat. Initially designed as a Sidewheel Steamer, the vessel was used in early Great Lakes transportation and trade. However, by 1844, it was Rebuilt as a Bark, possibly due to mechanical failures or the growing preference for sailing vessels for freight transport. By October 1847, the ship had undergone another change, being registered as a Schooner.

On December 18, 1847, the Uncle Sam was caught in a northeast gale while transporting lumber across Lake Erie. The ship stranded on the east side of Kelley’s Island (then known as Cunningham’s Island), where it sank and later broke apart, becoming a Total Loss. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the wreck.

Final Disposition

The Uncle Sam was destroyed by wave action and storm damage, leaving no known salvage efforts. Given the shallow waters near Kelley’s Island, any remaining debris may have been buried by shifting sands or removed by later ship traffic.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck has been documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Kelley’s Island is a well-known site for shipwrecks, as its limestone shorelines and reefs have claimed many vessels over the centuries. No modern navigational hazards linked to this wreck exist.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Uncle Sam had a remarkable transformation from a Sidewheel Steamer to a Bark, then to a Schooner, reflecting the evolving maritime industry of the early Great Lakes shipping era. Its destruction in 1847 near Kelley’s Islandunderscores the dangers of winter storms on Lake Erie, particularly for sailing vessels transporting cargo in the region.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes schooners, sidewheel steamers, Kelley’s Island shipwrecks, Lake Erie storms, 19th-century vessel conversions

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Erie, 19th-century shipwrecks, wooden schooners, storm-related losses

Glossary Terms: Schooner, Sidewheel Steamer, Bark-rigged Vessel, Stranding