Identification & Site Information

• Name: Harmony
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 95191
• Date Built & Launched: 1872
• Builder: A.A. Turner, Trenton, Michigan
• Measurements: 152 ft x 28 ft x 12 ft (46.3 m x 8.5 m x 3.7 m)
• Tonnage: 332 tons
• Date Lost: September 16, 1875
• Place of Loss: Chicago Harbour, Lake Michigan
• Type of Loss: Storm
• Loss of Life: None
• Cargo: Lumber

Vessel Type

The Harmony was a wooden schooner-barge, a vessel designed to be towed by steamers while carrying bulk cargo, in this case, lumber.

Description

Built in 1872, the Harmony was a large, three-masted schooner-barge used to transport lumber, a major industry on the Great Lakes at the time. It had been recently Rebuilt in Chicago during 1874-75, just before its loss.

History

On September 16, 1875, the Harmony was under tow behind the Propeller Steamer Charles Reitz when a severe storm hit. The rough conditions caused the Harmony to break free from its Towline. Now adrift, the vessel was swept into Chicago Harbor, where it was driven around the end of the north pier and onto the wreck of the Onondaga, a ship that had previously sunk in the area.

As the storm continued, the Harmony sank to its decks, taking on heavy damage. Over the next four days, the ship was relentlessly pounded by waves, breaking apart by September 20. The wreckage, including its cargo of lumber and its own timbers, was scattered along the shore, with only part of it being salvaged.

The Harmony was owned by the Reitz Lumber Company of Chicago, a firm heavily involved in the transportation and sale of lumber throughout the Great Lakes region.

Final Disposition

Declared a Total Loss after breaking apart in the storm, with debris scattered along the shoreline. No known salvage attempts beyond the recovery of some lumber.

Located By & Date Found

There is no confirmed modern discovery of the wreck, though remnants may still exist near Chicago Harbor.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No known Navigation Hazards related to the wreck site today.

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Maritime Database – Bowling Green State University
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• David Swayze Shipwreck File

Conclusion

The loss of the Harmony demonstrates the dangers of Schooner-Barge towing in heavy storms, especially in congested harbors like Chicago. The vessel’s unfortunate collision with the already sunken Onondaga sealed its fate, leaving it battered beyond repair. Though no lives were lost, the ship and its cargo were largely destroyed, marking another tragic chapter in the lumber trade’s history on the Great Lakes.

Suggested Keywords & Categories

• Keywords: Harmony shipwreck, Chicago Harbor shipwrecks, Lake Michigan Schooner-Barge wrecks, Great Lakes lumber trade, Onondaga wreck, Reitz Lumber Company
• Categories: Great Lakes Shipwrecks, Lake Michigan History, Storm-Related Wrecks, 19th-Century Maritime Disasters
• Glossary Terms: Schooner-Barge, Tow Steamer, Ship Stranding, Lumber Trade, Harbor Wreck