Minerva Cook C40773

3 min read

IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION #

Photo provided by University of Delaware research team

Name: MINERVA COOK
Type: Wooden Schooner
Location: Off Point Peninsula, near Chaumont, New York, Lake Ontario
Coordinates: N 44° 00′ 30.39″ W 76° 17′ 11.94″
Depth: Approximately 10 feet (3 meters)
Length: 90 feet (27.4 meters)

VESSEL TYPE DESCRIPTION #

The MINERVA COOK was a wooden schooner constructed in 1840 at Garden Island, Ontario, by the shipbuilder Lewis Goler. The vessel was designed with two masts, a single deck, and was initially measured at 88.7 feet in length, with a beam of 18.1 feet and a depth of 9.4 feet. The schooner was built for Calvin, Cook & Company and had a capacity of 137 tons, later increased to 170 tons after a rebuild in 1854.

HISTORY #

The MINERVA COOK was a wooden schooner constructed in 1840 at Garden Island, Ontario, by the shipbuilder Lewis Goler. Designed as a two-masted vessel with a single deck, the MINERVA COOK was initially measured at 88.7 feet in length, with a beam of 18.1 feet and a depth of 9.4 feet. The schooner was built for Calvin, Cook & Company and had a carrying capacity of 137 tons, which was later increased to 170 tons after a rebuild in 1854. The vessel was a workhorse on Lake Ontario, engaged in the transportation of various goods across the lake’s busy trade routes. However, the MINERVA COOK quickly gained a reputation as an ill-fated vessel, experiencing a series of accidents and mishaps throughout its service life.

The schooner’s troubled history began in 1851 when it first sank after a collision with the bark CLAYTON near Long Point, resulting in a total loss valued at $3,300. Despite this early setback, the MINERVA COOK was salvaged and rebuilt in 1854, only to encounter a similar fate in 1858 when it collided once again with the CLAYTON and sank off Long Point. The schooner’s bad luck continued in 1863 when it capsized off South Bay Point, further tarnishing its reputation. By this time, the vessel was owned by John Frazer of Kingston, Ontario, who faced more misfortune when the schooner ran aground in Sodus, New York, in 1865 while carrying a cargo of lumber. Another collision in 1866, this time with the schooner E. MASTERS at Mill Point, caused additional damage.

The final chapter for the MINERVA COOK came in November 1868 when it was wrecked in Lake Ontario. The exact circumstances of its last wreck remain unclear, but it marked the end of the schooner’s troubled existence. The wreck of the MINERVA COOK now lies in shallow waters off Point Peninsula, near Chaumont, New York, at a depth of approximately 10 feet (3 meters). The site is easily accessible for snorkelers and provides a tangible link to the maritime history of Lake Ontario and the numerous challenges faced by sailors in the 19th century. The schooner’s repeated misfortunes highlight the perilous conditions on Lake Ontario and the unpredictable nature of maritime navigation during that era.