Amelia 1796

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Amelia
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1796
• Builder:
• Dimensions:
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie
• Coordinates: Approx. 42.1440° N, 80.1080° W

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Amelia was a wooden schooner, typical of late 18th- and early 19th-century Great Lakes trade. Schooners were highly valued for their ability to carry bulk cargo and navigate the lakes’ shallow waters, though storms often proved fatal.

Description

The Amelia was a wooden schooner, typical of late 18th- and early 19th-century Great Lakes trade. Schooners were highly valued for their ability to carry bulk cargo and navigate the lakes’ shallow waters, though storms often proved fatal.

History

• 1796: Built, becoming one of the earliest schooners on the Great Lakes.
• 1811: Moored near the Cuyahoga River, Lake Erie. A severe storm in November parted her cables, driving her down the river. Her fate afterward is unknown.
• 1815: Possibly abandoned; no further records exist in shipping registries.

Significant Incidents

• 1811: A severe storm caused the Amelia to break free from her moorings and drift down the Cuyahoga River.

Final Disposition

The Amelia may have been abandoned by 1815. With no confirmed wreck discovery, her condition remains speculative. The absence of follow-up records leaves her end shrouded in mystery.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No discovery records exist. The wreck has not been found.

Resources & Links

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The Amelia represents the vulnerability of early schooners on the Great Lakes. The November 1811 storm near the Cuyahoga River underscores the hazards of frontier shipping. Though her ultimate fate remains a mystery, she endures in historical memory as part of the Great Lakes’ maritime legacy.