Identification & Site Information

• Name: CHARLES HOWARD
• Former Names: None reported
• Official Number: None
• Date Built and Launched: 1845
• Builder: Unknown shipyard in Huron, Ohio
• Home port: based in Ohio or Chicago, IL
• Final Owner: Unknown
• Vessel Type: Wooden Two-Masted Schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Masts: Two
• Power: Sail-powered
• Measurements: Length: 100 ft (30.5 m) Beam: 21 ft (6.4 m) Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
• Tonnage: 104 tons (old measurement system)
• Primary Cargo: Lumber (as seen in its final voyage)
• Final Master: Capt. Mahoney

The CHARLES HOWARD was a wooden Schooner, a common sailing vessel used on the Great Lakes in the mid-19th century. Schooners like this were used primarily for:

• Transporting lumber (as seen in its final voyage)
• Carrying general cargo such as coal, grain, or iron ore
• Serving in regional shipping networks between Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois

This type of vessel was ideal for navigating the unpredictable weather and rough waters of the Great Lakes, but wooden schooners were highly vulnerable to storms.

History

The CHARLES HOWARD operated for over a decade, moving lumber and other goods across the Great Lakes before meeting its final fate near Chicago in 1856.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• 1845: Built in Huron, Ohio, likely for the booming lumber and grain trade.
• September 1850: Aground at Racine, Wisconsin, and declared a Total Loss, though the vessel appears to have been salvaged and returned to service.
• December 9, 1856: Destroyed in a storm near Chicago, Illinois.

Final Disposition

The CHARLES HOWARD was lost on December 9, 1856, after being driven ashore in a violent gale near Lake View House, Chicago, Illinois.

The Disaster

• The Schooner was carrying lumber when a strong storm pushed it toward shore.
• It went aground along with multiple other vessels, suggesting a widespread storm event.
• A quickly assembled rescue team, including three ship captains and notable shippers N.K. Fairbanks and Charley Bissell, helped save the entire crew.
• The vessel broke up in the storm and was declared a Total Loss.

After 11 years of service, the CHARLES HOWARD met its end in the unpredictable waters of Lake Michigan, a fate common among wooden schooners of the era.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the CHARLES HOWARD‘s wreck remains being discovered or documented near Chicago, Illinois, in Lake Michigan.

Since it went ashore and broke apart, any remnants may have been buried under shifting sands or lost over time.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Chicago, Illinois, in Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

• Historical Databases:
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Local Archives:
• Chicago Maritime Museum (Possible records of 19th-century shipwrecks)
• Illinois State Archives – Maritime Section (Potential documents related to ship losses)

Conclusion

The CHARLES HOWARD was a hardworking wooden Schooner that spent over a decade transporting lumber and cargo across the Great Lakes. Despite being declared a Total Loss in 1850, the vessel continued sailing until 1856, when it was driven ashore in a storm near Chicago. The rescue efforts of local ship captains and businessmen highlight the dangers faced by sailors and the community’s willingness to respond in times of crisis.