HAMPTON

Identification & Site Information

• Other Names: None
• Official Number: 11305
• Vessel Type: Wooden Brig, 2-masted
• Builder: Asa Wilcox, Three Mile Bay (Pillar Point), New York
• Year Built: 1845
• Specifications: 115 ft x 23 ft x 9 ft (35 m x 7 m x 2.7 m), 174 gross tons
• Date Lost: September 20, 1873
• Location: 8 miles off Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Lake: Michigan
• Cause of Loss: Storm
• Loss of Life: None
• Cargo: Lumber

Description

The Hampton was a large wooden brig, built in 1845 at Three Mile Bay, New York, by Asa Wilcox. At the time of her launch, she was considered one of the largest vessels on the Great Lakes, serving primarily as a cargo carrier for the lumber trade.

History & Previous Incidents

The Hampton had a long career spanning nearly three decades, navigating the Great Lakes with various cargoes. However, she was no stranger to disasters:

• November 21, 1857: She was driven ashore and wrecked four miles south of New Buffalo, Michigan, during a storm. At the time, she was owned by E.K. Bruce.
• Despite this incident, she was salvaged, repaired, and returned to service, continuing her work as a lumber transport vessel.

Final Disposition – Storm of 1873

On September 20, 1873, the Hampton was caught in a violent storm while 8 miles off Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Battling heavy waves and high winds, she became waterlogged and ultimately broke apart offshore—a Total Loss.

Heroic Crew Survival

Despite the destruction of the vessel, her entire crew survived through incredible ingenuity:

• As the Brig fell to pieces, the crew built a makeshift raft from available debris.
• They drifted for 12 hours on Lake Michigan before being rescued by the passing Schooner Jo Vilas.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Research
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Save Ontario Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The Hampton had an impressive 28-year career on the Great Lakes, surviving severe storms and shipwrecks before her final destruction off Sheboygan in 1873. Though she was lost, her crew’s dramatic survival on a makeshift raft remains a remarkable story of resilience in Great Lakes maritime history.

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