The Agnes Barton was a wooden two-masted schooner that was built in 1835 in Buffalo, New York. It had a length of 73 feet, a beam of 23 feet, and a depth of 8 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 110 tons according to the old measurement system.
The ownership of the Agnes Barton changed hands multiple times throughout its history. James L. Barton was one of the early owners, followed by Benjamin Bidwell, John Carrick, Lewis D. Allen, Augustus H. Scoville, Stephen S. Petrie, Erastus S. Presser, Samuel F. Gelston, James C. Evans, Oliver M. Tomlinson, Robert S. Noyes, L.M. Hubby, Edward Wieme (?), N.B. Northrup, Thomas Pease, Stephen Card, Erastus Presser, Edward W. Barnard, Stephen L. Petrie, B.A. Root, Edward L. Presser, Edwin W. Barnard, and W.B. Northrop (Trustees of the Western Transportation Co.).
In 1842, the Agnes Barton underwent a rebuilding process, during which its length was increased to 92 feet and its tonnage grew to 155 tons.
On August 8, 1855, the Agnes Barton met its final fate off the coast between Conneaut, Ohio, and Erie, Pennsylvania, in Lake Erie. The schooner, carrying a cargo of coal and bound for Buffalo from Cleveland, encountered a storm. Due to its unseaworthy condition, the vessel started leaking and attempted to reach port. However, the water gained rapidly, and the schooner foundered and sank in approximately 30 feet of water, about 1.5 miles offshore and 1.5 miles from Conneaut Light. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties.
The Agnes Barton was considered an old vessel nearing the end of its usefulness, and it was unlikely to be salvaged. This event marked the end of the schooner’s service, concluding its history on the Great Lakes.
