Identification & Site Information

• Name: Uncle Sam
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 25099
• Date Built & Launched: 1863
• Builder: L. S. Bedford, Port Huron, Michigan
• Specifications: 42 tons
• Vessel Type: Wooden scow-Schooner
• Date Lost: May–June 1881 (reported a Total Loss by June 15, 1881)
• Place of Loss: Pelee Island, Lake Erie
• Cause of Loss: Storm
• Loss of Life: None mentioned
• Cargo: Unknown
• Port of Registry: Cleveland, Ohio

Vessel Type

The Uncle Sam was a wooden scow-Schooner, a flat-bottomed sailing vessel used primarily for carrying lumber, stone, or bulk goods across the Great Lakes. Scow-schooners were particularly useful in shallow waters, allowing them to navigate small harbors and river mouths.

Description & History

Built in 1863 by L. S. Bedford in Port Huron, Michigan, the Uncle Sam operated out of Cleveland, Ohio, making regular voyages across Lake Erie and likely transporting cargo between Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario ports.

Sometime between May and June 1881, the vessel encountered a storm near Pelee Island. The ship was badly damaged and ultimately broke apart, being declared a Total Loss by June 15, 1881. No casualties were reported, indicating that the crew likely escaped before the vessel was destroyed.

Final Disposition

The Uncle Sam went to pieces near Pelee Island, and no salvage efforts were recorded. The remains were likely scattered by wave action and buried in shifting sand.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck has been documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Pelee Island is known for hazardous waters and shifting shoals, which have contributed to many shipwrecks.

The region is a popular area for divers, with multiple 19th-century wrecks documented nearby.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Uncle Sam was a small but hardworking scow-Schooner, typical of the bulk cargo trade on Lake Erie. Its destruction near Pelee Island in 1881 highlights the risks faced by schooners navigating the unpredictable waters of Lake Erie, particularly in the stormy spring and early summer months. Though the ship was lost, its story remains part of the Maritime History of the Great Lakes.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes schooners, scow-schooners, Pelee Island shipwrecks, Lake Erie storms, 19th-century maritime trade

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

Glossary Terms: Scow-Schooner, Storm Damage, Pelee Island Shipwrecks, Lake Erie Navigation