The barkentine De SOTO was launched in 1856 from the yard of Peck & Masters in Cleveland, Ohio. The vessel was owned by R.K. Winslow and measured 160 98-100 feet in keel length, 33 6-10 feet in beam, and 11 72-1000 feet in hold. Its tonnage was recorded as 583 69-95. The De SOTO was barque-rigged and was considered by experts to be a staunch and beautiful vessel.
The vessel was designed for the grain-carrying trade on the upper lakes and could carry a cargo of 25,000 bushels of wheat or 27,000 bushels of corn. It was built under the direct supervision of Captain B.A. Stannard, and its cost was estimated to be around $25,000. The De SOTO was captained by Alfred Davis, a seasoned mariner who had been sailing out of Cleveland for at least sixteen years.
According to the Lake Vessel Register of 1860, the De SOTO was a bark of 583 tons, built in 1856 by Peck & Masters in Cleveland and owned by R.K. Winsloe. It was valued at $16,000 and classified as A1.
The De SOTO is listed as lost in the MVUS (Merchant Vessel of the United States) records for the year 1875.
