NOAA’s Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary
Hello and welcome back to another #WreckWednesday! This week we are featuring the schooner HETTY TAYLOR!
HETTY TAYLOR was built in Milwaukee in 1874 as a small, two-masted coastal schooner, intended to carry cargoes of grain, lumber, coal, and other bulk goods. In 1870s, many small schooners were built in the Great Lakes to fill the gaps in shipping as large shipping companies were building bigger and bigger vessels. These trading schooners were built to sail quickly and fit into smaller, unimproved ports, carrying smaller cargos shorter distances. Measuring only 84 feet in length, with a nearly 23-foot beam, HETTY TAYLOR fit into this niche perfectly; the vessel could carry a lot of cargo despite being so small.
HETTY TAYLOR spent most of its career carrying lumber and cordwood between Milwaukee and small ports such as Sister Bay and Egg Harbor in Door County, as well as larger ports like Green Bay and Muskegon, MI. On return trips, HETTY TAYLOR carried goods such as grain for feed, merchandise, and other items. HETTY TAYLOR continued in this way until late August 1880.
Complete write up by OANOAA on Facebook