Site Description
- Schooner
- 75ffw 23m
- 100ft Length
- Yeo Island
- Lake Huron
The schooner San Jacinto was built in 1856 in Buffalo, New York. Benjamin B. Jones was the builder of this wooden-hulled vessel, which was originally owned by Mixer & Brothers, located in Buffalo. The ownership of the vessel later transferred to the Lake Navigation Company.
The San Jacinto had a tonnage of 374.45 according to the old measurement style and had a capacity of 17,000 bushels. It was primarily used for transporting cargo, particularly corn. The vessel had a single deck and was designed as a schooner.
Throughout its history, the San Jacinto experienced various incidents and changes. In 1858, ownership of the vessel transferred to P.C. Sherman, followed by W.K. Watson in 1860. In September of the same year, the vessel struck a bar in Chicago, Illinois, located in Lake Michigan. Ownership changed again in 1862 when Conrad became the owner, and in the same year, the San Jacinto collided with the J.S. Sweeney. Another collision occurred in July of 1862, this time with the bark Invincible in the St. Clair River.
The vessel underwent several measurements over the years, with a recorded measurement of 255 gross tons in 1865 and 265.74 gross tons in 1868. In the winter of 1870-71, the San Jacinto was rebuilt at Hanson’s Yard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, under the ownership of Mullen, based in Chicago.
Throughout its service, the San Jacinto faced various challenges, including running ashore with oats at Long Point Cut in Lake Erie in October 1867 and losing its foremast near Waugoshance in the Straits of Mackinac in July 1876. It was also involved in collisions, such as the one with the schooner Lake Forest while being towed by the lumber tug A.B. Ward in September 1876.
The vessel’s final moments came on May 12, 1881, when it was wrecked. At that time, it was owned by O.B. Mullen of Chicago. The San Jacinto met its fate in the vicinity of 8 miles northwest of Cove Island, at the entrance of Georgian Bay in Lake Huron. The vessel struck a rock in foggy conditions, leading to its foundering. It was carrying a cargo of corn and was bound for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Collingwood, Ontario. The wreck of the San Jacinto now rests at a depth of 30 inches in Lake Huron.
