Identification & Site Information

• Name: Utica
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: None
• Date Built & Launched: 1834
• Builder: Oswego, New York
• Specifications: 72 ft x 20 ft x 8 ft (21.9 m x 6.1 m x 2.4 m), 104 tons (old measurement)
• Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner
• Date Lost: October 25, 1837
• Place of Loss: 10 miles northwest of Presque Isle, Michigan, Lake Huron
• Cause of Loss: Storm, driven ashore
• Loss of Life: None (crew and five passengers survived)
• Cargo: Light (no substantial cargo)
• Owner: C.M. Giddings, Cleveland, Ohio
• Master at Loss: Captain Lyman Beckley

Vessel Type

The Utica was a small wooden Schooner, a common vessel type on the Great Lakes in the early 19th century. Schooners were widely used for cargo and passenger transport, known for their maneuverability and efficiency under sail. Given its size and early build date, the Utica was likely used in both commercial trade and passenger transport between Great Lakes ports.

Description & History

The Utica was built in 1834 in Oswego, New York, a major early shipbuilding center for Great Lakes vessels. Owned by Cleveland merchant C.M. Giddings, the Schooner was part of the growing fleet of commercial vessels facilitating trade between developing ports such as Cleveland, Green Bay, and Buffalo.

On October 25, 1837, while sailing from Green Bay to Cleveland, the Utica passed through the Straits of Mackinac and into Lake Huron. Shortly after, it encountered a sudden and intense snow squall, a common and dangerous occurrence on the Great Lakes in late autumn. The storm threw the vessel onto its beam ends (tilted onto its side), rendering it uncontrollable and driving it ashore northwest of Presque Isle, Michigan.

Within hours, the ship was broken apart by waves and ice-cold winds. The crew and passengers, stranded in freezing conditions, took shelter under a piece of sailcloth on the beach for 48 hours before being rescued. Given the harsh weather and exposure, their survival was remarkable.

Captain Lyman Beckley, the ship’s master at the time of its loss, was a highly experienced mariner, with over 30 years of experience on both salt and fresh water. His reputation highlights how even seasoned sailors were vulnerable to the unpredictable and often deadly conditions of the Great Lakes.

Notably, the Utica had previously capsized off Conneaut, Ohio, in October 1833, with the suspected loss of five lives, making it a vessel with a troubled history even before its final wreck.

Final Disposition

The Utica was completely destroyed by the storm, and no salvage efforts were reported. Any remains of the vessel have likely been scattered or buried under sand along the shoreline near Presque Isle.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck has been documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No known modern navigational hazards associated with this wreck. The waters near Presque Isle, Michigan, have been known for shifting sand and submerged wreckage from multiple 19th-century shipwrecks.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Utica was an early Great Lakes Schooner that met a violent end in a Lake Huron snow squall, highlighting the dangers of late-season navigation in the region. Though all aboard survived, their ordeal stranded in frigid conditions for two days serves as a testament to the harsh realities of 19th-century sailing. With its history of prior accidents, including the 1833 capsizing near Conneaut, the ship had an eventful yet ill-fated career.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes shipwrecks, Schooner, Lake Huron storms, Presque Isle, Great Lakes Navigation Hazards

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

Glossary Terms: Schooner, Beam Ends, Straits of Mackinac, Snow Squall