History #
The S.P. Ames was a two-masted wooden schooner built in 1879 by Seth Ames in Montrose, Michigan. It had a length of 61 feet, a beam of 18 feet, and a depth of 6.4 feet. The vessel had a gross tonnage of 43 tons and a net tonnage of 41 tons. It was originally owned by D.S. Tuikham from Bay City, Michigan.
Throughout its history, the ownership of the S.P. Ames changed hands several times. It was owned by A. Vanden Brooks in 1888, Tedy Castlaw in 1891, F. Trudo in September 1891, and finally by Edw. Bradley in November 1891. The vessel was enrolled in Port Huron on June 25, 1879.
On September 11, 1895, while downbound off Tawas Bay in Lake Huron, the S.P. Ames sprang a leak during a gale. It was driven ashore and wrecked at Point Aux Barques reef. The vessel, carrying no cargo at the time, quickly broke apart. Fortunately, there was no loss of life.
The Point Aux Barques lifesaving crew stripped the schooner before it went to pieces. The S.P. Ames was described as a small uninsurable lumber-hooker. It had a value of $500. Montrose, where the vessel was built, is an inland area in farm country on the Flint River. Seth Ames, the builder of the ship, passed away the day before its hull was launched. The rigging and equipment installation were completed by D. Tuickham of Bay City.
The S.P. Ames was officially listed as wrecked on September 11, 1895, and its enrollment was surrendered on October 4, 1895. The loss of the vessel occurred due to a storm, but there were no casualties among the crew of three.
