Bark Tubal Cain (1866–1867)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: Tubal Cain
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: 24162 (Possibly unverified in some sources)
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden three-masted Bark (square-rigged sailing vessel)
• Builder: J.M. Jones, Detroit, Michigan
• Year Built & Launched: 1866
• Specifications: Gross Tonnage: 294 GT
• Date Lost: November 24, 1867 
• Location of Loss: Two Rivers Point, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
• Cause of Loss: Storm, ran aground and broke apart
• Loss of Life: Unknown (not confirmed in records)
• Cargo at Time of Loss: 18,000 bushels of wheat

Vessel Description & Service History

The Tubal Cain was a wooden three-masted Bark, built in 1866 in Detroit, Michigan, by J.M. Jones. As a Great Lakes cargo carrier, she was designed for bulk transport, typically moving wheat, grain, and other agricultural products between Midwestern and Eastern ports. She was owned by Byron Whitaker and Beals of Detroit and regularly sailed routes between Milwaukee, Chicago, and Oswego, New York. The vessel had a short service life of just over a year before her destruction.

Final Voyage & Loss

On November 24, 1867, the Tubal Cain was bound from Milwaukee to Oswego, New York, carrying 18,000 bushels of wheat when she encountered a violent gale near Two Rivers Point, Wisconsin.  The storm brought heavy rain and dense fog, reducing Visibility and making navigation difficult.  Strong winds forced the vessel ashore, stranding her near Two Rivers Point.  Over the next few days, waves battered the wreck, breaking it apart.  No confirmed records exist on the survival of the crew or if there were fatalities.

Despite the wreck being officially recorded as lost in 1867, the Tubal Cain was still listed in the 1869 Merchant Vessel Register, suggesting that some uncertainty surrounded her loss in official records.

Final Disposition & Salvage

• Declared a Total Loss after breaking apart.
• No salvage efforts recorded.
• No known modern discovery of wreckage.
• No confirmed wreck site identified.
• Possible remains may exist near Two Rivers Point, Wisconsin, but no verified surveys have confirmed its location.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• Two Rivers Point, Wisconsin, has been the site of multiple shipwrecks, as the region is exposed to sudden storms on Lake Michigan.
• Fog was a major navigational hazard, often leading to groundings and collisions in the 19th century.
• The name Tubal Cain was also used for an earlier vessel built in Milwaukee in the 1850s, which sometimes causes confusion in historical records.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Tubal Cain was a short-lived but active cargo vessel on the Great Lakes, moving grain and bulk goods between Milwaukee and Oswego. Her loss in 1867 near Two Rivers Point, Wisconsin, was due to a severe storm with heavy rain and fog, conditions that made navigation nearly impossible. Though no remains have been confirmed, her story serves as another example of the unpredictable dangers faced by 19th-century lake sailors.