Identification & Site Information

• Name: York
• Other Names: Unknown
• Official Number: Likely Canadian registry
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden Schooner
• Builder: Unknown
• Year Built & Launched: Unknown
• Specifications: Unknown
• Date Lost: Early record, exact year unknown
• Location of Loss: Off Salt Point, 25 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, Lake Superior
• Cause of Loss: Presumed storm
• Loss of Life: Unknown
• Cargo at Time of Loss: Unknown

Vessel Description & History

Very little is known about the Schooner York, except that she was lost in the early years of recorded shipwrecks on Lake Superior. Given that she was a wooden Schooner, she likely operated as a cargo transport vessel, carrying materials such as lumber, fish, furs, or supplies between settlements on Lake Superior and beyond.

The Great Lakes Schooner trade was essential in the 19th century, particularly in remote regions like Lake Superior, where settlements relied on vessels like the York to bring in supplies. The unpredictable weather and frequent storms on Lake Superior have claimed hundreds of schooners, especially in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Final Disposition

The York reportedly sank off the mouth of Grant’s Creek, near Salt Point, approximately 25 miles west of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The exact details of her sinking are unknown, but given the location and era, it is likely that she was caught in a storm and Foundered.

The number of casualties (if any) is not recorded, and the specifics of her cargo remain unknown.

Located By & Date Found

No known discovery of the wreck has been reported. Given the vessel’s likely wooden construction and early loss, it is possible that her remains have disintegrated or are buried under lakebed sediments.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No modern navigational hazards associated with this vessel are documented.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels

Conclusion

With few details available, the Schooner York remains one of Lake Superior’s many undocumented shipwrecks. Like numerous other early wooden vessels, she likely succumbed to a storm and vanished without leaving a trace. Without specific build records or an exact year of loss, her fate remains largely a mystery of Great Lakes maritime history.