History
The ALABAMA was a wooden schooner that was built in 1834 in Sackett’s Harbor, New York. It had a gross tonnage of 92 tons. The vessel did not have an official number listed.
On October 17, 1843, the ALABAMA encountered a storm and was completely wrecked at Fairport, Ohio, on Lake Erie. The schooner was carrying a cargo of 4,580 bushels of wheat at the time. While attempting to make port, the ALABAMA ran into the pier at the mouth of Grand River and, being an old craft, was soon shattered into pieces. There were no reported casualties in the incident.
However, in a later report on October 23, 1843, it is mentioned that the ALABAMA went ashore at the mouth of the Grand River on Thursday night and was broken apart. The wheat cargo was lost, but the crew was saved.
Interestingly, in a subsequent report on November 13, 1843, it is stated that the ALABAMA, which had been driven ashore below the north pier, was successfully refloated despite the severity of the storm. It is unclear whether this refers to the same incident or a subsequent event involving the ALABAMA.
In summary, the ALABAMA, a wooden schooner built in 1834, was wrecked during a storm on October 17, 1843, at Fairport, Ohio, on Lake Erie. The vessel was carrying wheat as cargo, and although it was completely destroyed, there were no reported fatalities.
