Site Description #
- Schooner
- 137ft 42m Length
- Stony Point, Lake Ontario
- 43.83493, -76.43574
History #
AMERICAN was a wooden schooner that was constructed in 1870 by Asa Wilcox in Three Mile Bay, New York. This vessel had dimensions of 137 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, and 10 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 283 and a net tonnage of 269. The schooner was initially owned by A. Wilcox from Three Mile Bay, New York.
On an unreported date, the AMERICAN embarked on a journey from an undisclosed location to Prescott, Ontario, while being towed by the Tug PROTOR. Unfortunately, the schooner sank near Stony Point in Lake Ontario. The exact reason for its sinking remains unknown. At the time of the incident, the AMERICAN was carrying a cargo of coal.
Fortunately, the crew members aboard the vessel were able to escape safely. Following its construction, the ownership of the AMERICAN changed hands over the years. In 1879, it was owned by Becker & Putnam of Clayton, New York. By 1894, the vessel was under the ownership of T. Donavan from Oswego, New York.
The final chapter in the AMERICAN’s history occurred on October 1, 1894, when it foundered between Oswego and Stoney Point. The circumstances leading to its sinking were not reported. The schooner’s final cargo consisted of coal.
External Links #
- Great Lakes Ships C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Donald V. Baut C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- Inland Lloyds’ Marine Directory
- Newspaper Clippings Maritime History of the Great Lakes Website
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
- Peter J. VanderLinden C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
