Identification & Site Information

• Other Names: None
• Official Number: None
• Vessel Type: Wooden 2-masted schooner
• Builder: William Jones, Black River, Ohio
• Year Built: 1849
• Specifications: Length: 117 ft (35.7 m) Beam: 24 ft (7.3 m) Depth: 9 ft (2.7 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 234 tons

Service History

The T.P. Handy was constructed in 1849 at Black River, Ohio, by shipbuilder William Jones. Like many schooners of its time, it was a general cargo carrier, frequently hauling goods, materials, and manufactured items across the Great Lakes trade routes.

One of its notable cargoes was wagon wheels, a crucial component for westward expansion and settlement in the mid-19th century. The ship likely participated in trade between ports in Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois, supplying industrial and agricultural goods to the rapidly developing Midwest.

In 1851, the T.P. Handy was heavily damaged in a fire, but it was repaired and returned to service.

Final Voyage & Loss – October 14, 1860

On October 14, 1860, the T.P. Handy was sailing on Lake Michigan near Kenosha, Wisconsin, when it was caught in a violent storm.

• The Schooner stranded south of the Kenosha piers, meaning it likely ran aground due to heavy winds and waves pushing it toward shore.
• The force of the storm and impact on the lake bottom caused the vessel to break apart, leading to a Total Loss.
• Fortunately, all crew members survived.
• The ship was either salvaged for materials or left to deteriorate along the shoreline.

Final Disposition & Wreck Site

• Location: Just south of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
• Condition: Likely completely destroyed by storm and salvage efforts
• Possible remains buried under sand or lost to erosion

Located By & Date Found

Nil return

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return

Resources & Links

📖 More on Great Lakes Shipwrecks:
🔗 Maritime History of the Great Lakes
🔗 Great Lakes Shipwreck Research
🔗 David Swayze Shipwreck File
🔗 Save Ontario Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The T.P. Handy was a classic Great Lakes Schooner, part of the expanding 19th-century trade network. After surviving a major fire in 1851, it continued in service for another nine years before succumbing to a storm near Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1860. While the wreckage has likely disappeared, its story is a reminder of the challenges early sailors faced on the unpredictable Great Lakes.

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