Site Description
- Schooner
- 18ffw 3m
- 126ft Length
- Hope Island, Georgian Bay
- Lake Huron
The Lottie Wolf was a barkentine that was built in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 1866. Constructed with wood, the vessel had one deck and three masts. It was originally owned by William H. Wolf and others from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The barkentine had a length of 126 feet, a beam of 27 feet, and a depth of 11.3 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 334.73 and a net tonnage of 318.
Throughout its history, the Lottie Wolf encountered numerous incidents and underwent several repairs. In July 1866, repairs were made to its keel at the Campbell & Owens drydock in Detroit, Michigan. In May 1869, it collided with the schooner M.B. Spaulding in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron. Later that year, in October, a new centerboard box and topsail yards were installed.
The barkentine faced further challenges in the following years. In April 1871, it lost its topmasts during a severe Lake Huron storm. In May of the same year, it sank at the Milwaukee piers but was successfully raised and repaired. The vessel continued to experience incidents, including the loss of its foretopmast on Lake Michigan in July 1871 and damage from lightning in June 1874.
Ownership of the Lottie Wolf changed over time, with Wolf & Davidson taking ownership in 1876. In September 1877, the vessel lost its sails in a squall off Leeland, Michigan, on Lake Michigan and was towed to Port Colborne, Ontario. Repairs were carried out in 1879.
The barkentine faced additional challenges in the 1880s. In October 1881, it went ashore on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan during a storm but was towed to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In September 1883, it ran aground in Cheboygan, Michigan, during a gale. Ownership of the vessel transferred to J.S. Dunham of Chicago, Illinois.
The final chapter in the history of the Lottie Wolf occurred on October 9, 1891. The vessel struck a large boulder and ran ashore on Hope Island in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. It was subsequently stripped of its useful materials and abandoned on October 22, 1891.
Today, the wreck of the Lottie Wolf rests near the north shore of Hope Island, serving as a reminder of its storied past and the challenges faced by sailors on the Great Lakes.
