Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Name(s): NORTHWEST
  • Registry Number: 18102
  • Former Types: Barkentine (1862–1872), converted to Schooner (1873)
  • Date of Loss: October 24–25, 1876
  • Location of Incident: Approximately 12 miles off Kenosha, Lake Michigan (near Racine/Kenosha boundary waters)
  • Coordinates (approx.): N 42° 33.776′ / W 087° 34.668′
  • Depth: Unknown (likely 50–80 m / 165–260 ft, not yet located)
  • Nearest City: Kenosha, WI
  • County: Kenosha County, Wisconsin
  • Home Port at Time of Loss: Chicago, IL

Vessel Description

  • Vessel Type: Wooden Barkentine, later converted to a three-masted Schooner
  • Construction Material: Wood
  • Rig: Barkentine (original), later Schooner
  • Length: 167.65 ft (51.1 m)
  • Beam: 31.00 ft (9.45 m)
  • Depth of Hold: 12.70 ft (3.87 m)
  • Gross Tonnage: 458.54 tons
  • Propulsion: Sail
  • Number of Masts: 3
  • Builder: Peck & Masters, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Year Built: 1862
  • Original Owners: Capt. W.M. Egan & Capt. Cal Carr, Chicago

Service History

The NORTHWEST was a well-known and fast Great Lakes freighter that served primarily in the grain and bulk goods trade:

  • 1862: Launched in May as a Barkentine; initial valuation $19,000.
  • 1865: Grounded at Cheboygan Point, Straits of Mackinac.
  • 1866: Grounded at Peach Island, Lake St. Clair.
  • 1870: Collision with Barque P.C. Sherman on Lake Erie.
  • 1871: Collisions with Schooner Fame (July) and Schooner Hackley (October).
  • 1872: Aground during a snowstorm at Port Hope, Lake Huron.
  • 1873: Repaired and converted to a three-masted Schooner.
  • 1874–1876: Registered as a Schooner; experienced leaking issues.

Final Voyage & Loss

  • Date: October 24, 1876 (Milwaukee Sentinel reports collision early morning of October 25)
  • Route: Chicago → Buffalo
  • Cargo: ~29,000–30,000 bushels of corn (property of W.T. Baker & Co., Chicago)
  • Incident:
    • Collided with Schooner F.L. DANFORTH, a coal carrier, approximately 12 miles off Kenosha at ~4:00 AM.
    • Impact: DANFORTH struck port bow of NORTHWEST near the foremast, tearing a fatal breach in the Hull.
    • Sinking: NORTHWEST sank within 15 minutes; only the tops of her spars were reported briefly visible.
    • Casualties: None – crew rescued by DANFORTH.
    • Insurance: ~$14,500 spread across Traders ($5,000), Orient ($5,000), and Pacific Mutual ($4,500).
  • Legal Aftermath: Hon. Wiley M. Egan sued DANFORTH’s owners for $16,300 in damages.
  • Enrollment Surrendered: December 30, 1876 – “Total Loss.”

Final Disposition

  • Wreck Status: Presumed intact, not yet located.
  • Reported Location: ~12 miles offshore, depth too great for spars to have remained visible.
  • Salvage: None documented; the cargo and Hull were never recovered.

Historical Significance

The NORTHWEST is representative of the bulk grain trade on the Great Lakes during the post-Civil War era. Its career illustrates:

  • High collision risk in the busy late-19th century shipping lanes of Lake Michigan.
  • Transition from Barkentine to Schooner as economic demands shifted to higher-capacity bulk carriers.
  • Insurance and legal battles that followed Great Lakes losses, reflecting the economic stakes for shipowners and cargo brokers.

The wreck, once located, could provide valuable insights into Schooner construction of the 1860s and cargo handling practices.

NOTMARs & Diver Information

  • NOTMARs: None currently issued.
  • Diver Access: Not located; site presumed in deep water (>165 ft / 50 m). Technical dive only if discovered.

Resources & Archival Links

Keywords / Categories

  • Great Lakes shipwrecks
  • Lake Michigan
  • Wooden Schooner / Barkentine
  • 19th-century grain trade
  • Collision loss
  • Kenosha–Racine offshore
  • Undiscovered wreck