Ashtabula US 367

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: ASHTABULA
• Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1852
• Builder: George Thayer, Ashtabula, Ohio
• Dimensions: Length: 90 ft (27.4 m); Beam: 21 ft (6.4 m); Depth of hold: 8 ft (2.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 95 tons
• Location: North Point, Milwaukee, Lake Michigan
• Official Number: 367
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The ASHTABULA was a mid-sized, two-masted schooner, built for cargo transport on the Great Lakes. It primarily carried oil, salt, and miscellaneous package freight, operating between ports like Chicago, Escanaba, and Milwaukee. Schooners of this type were essential to early Great Lakes commerce, moving bulk goods between the Midwest’s industrial centers and the smaller lakefront communities. Despite being over 30 years old at the time of its sinking, the ASHTABULA had undergone several major repairs to keep it in service.

Description

The ASHTABULA had a long service life of over three decades, surviving several major incidents before being lost in a storm in 1883.

History

The ASHTABULA was built in Ashtabula, Ohio, by George Thayer in 1852. It underwent major repairs in 1862, extending its operational life. The vessel was involved in a collision on November 20, 1871, which resulted in one life lost. Additional major repairs were conducted in 1871, 1872, and 1878, indicating extensive use and wear. Ultimately, on November 11, 1883, the ASHTABULA capsized and sank in a storm off Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Significant Incidents

• 1852: Built in Ashtabula, Ohio, by George Thayer.
• 1862: Underwent major repairs, extending its operational life.
• November 20, 1871: Collision resulted in one life lost.
• 1871, 1872, 1878: Underwent additional major repairs, suggesting extensive use and wear.
• November 11, 1883: Capsized and sank in a storm off Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Final Disposition

The ASHTABULA was lost on November 11, 1883, after capsizing in a gale off North Point, Milwaukee, Lake Michigan.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the ASHTABULA‘s wreck being discovered or surveyed near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Due to its wooden construction and the nature of the sinking, its remains may be scattered or buried beneath the lakebed.

Resources & Links

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The ASHTABULA was a well-used schooner, operating for more than 30 years before finally succumbing to a storm in 1883. Its multiple repairs and long service life suggest it was a valuable cargo vessel, despite being involved in an earlier fatal collision in 1871. Its loss near Milwaukee was yet another example of the dangers of late-season storms on Lake Michigan, which claimed dozens of vessels in similar circumstances.