Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Charlotte
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1853
- Builder: Beaupre, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: Length: 90.00 ft (27.43 m); Beam: 23.65 ft (7.21 m); Depth of hold: 7.45 ft (2.27 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 106.91 GRT
- Location: Mouth of Wolf River, Ahnapee (modern Algoma), Kewaunee County, Wisconsin
- Coordinates: 44.6088, -87.4341
- Original Owners: Fulton Brothers, later Mr. Harvey
- Number of Masts: 2-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Wooden two-masted schooner designed for bulk cargo trade, primarily cordwood, lumber, shingles, and fence posts between Two Rivers, Sheboygan, and Chicago.
- A small-tonnage vessel typical of mid-19th century Lake Michigan lumber carriers.
Description
- Propulsion: Sail only; gaff-rigged fore-and-aft.
- Hull: Wood, shallow-draft for river and harbor access.
- Special Notes: Underwent extensive repairs in 1862, suggesting prior damage or age-related wear.
History
- Initial Owners: Fulton Brothers, Chicago, IL
- Later Owner: Mr. Harvey (date unclear, likely c. 1862 after repairs)
- Service Use: Primarily lumber and wood product transport between Lake Michigan ports.
- Ports of Call: Chicago, Sheboygan, Two Rivers.
- Repairs: 1862 rebuild at unspecified yard; likely reinforced for continued service after nearly a decade of work.
Significant Incidents
- Date: Sunday morning, October 28, 1866
- Incident:
- Charlotte ran ashore at the mouth of the Wolf River (Ahnapee/Algoma, WI) during routine trade.
- Initial salvage attempt by tug Union failed.
- Vessel stripped of outfit, topmast, and jibboom.
- Later purchased by another party; tug Levithan dispatched, but second refloat attempt also failed.
- Disposition:
- Began breaking apart; owners burned the hull to recover iron.
- Milwaukee Sentinel, 12/24/1866: “Burned – The hull of the old schooner Charlotte, beached at Wolf River, has been burned for the iron. A new hull is to be built at Red River, this winter for her outfit.”
- Casualties: None; 0 lives lost.
Final Disposition
- Status: No known underwater remains; vessel was stripped and burned.
- Modern Site: Nearshore Ahnapee/Algoma, Wisconsin; shoreline has since changed, likely no archaeological remains.
- Discovery/Documentation: Recorded in Wisconsin Historical Society Shipwreck Database and contemporary newspapers.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Status: No known underwater remains; vessel was stripped and burned.
- Modern Site: Nearshore Ahnapee/Algoma, Wisconsin; shoreline has since changed, likely no archaeological remains.
- Discovery/Documentation: Recorded in Wisconsin Historical Society Shipwreck Database and contemporary newspapers.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”charlotte-1853″ title=”References & Links”]
The schooner Charlotte exemplifies the short, hard service life of mid-19th century Great Lakes lumber schooners.
Her rapid destruction in 1866 reflects the low salvage priority of aging wooden vessels and the routine practice of burning hulls to recover iron fastenings.
No known structural remains survive, but contemporary newspaper documentation and Wisconsin’s shipwreck registry preserve her historical footprint in the lumber trade era of Lake Michigan.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Original Name(s): Charlotte
- Registry & Home Port: Chicago, Illinois
- Year Built: 1853 (Wisconsin Historical Society)
- Builder: Beaupre, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
- Construction Material: Wood (likely white oak framing and planking)
- Vessel Dimensions:
- Length: 90.00 ft (27.43 m)
- Beam: 23.65 ft (7.21 m)
- Depth of Hold: 7.45 ft (2.27 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 106.91 GRT
- Configuration: 2‑masted schooner, sail‑propelled
- Location of Wreck: Mouth of Wolf River, at Ahnapee (modern Algoma), Kewaunee County, Wisconsin; near Lake Michigan shore (Google Maps Link)
- Approximate Water Depth: 0 ft (beached); ultimately dismantled and burned
Vessel Type
- Wooden two‑masted schooner designed for bulk cargo trade, primarily cordwood, lumber, shingles, and fence posts between Two Rivers, Sheboygan, and Chicago.
- A small‑tonnage vessel typical of mid‑19th century Lake Michigan lumber carriers.
Description
- Propulsion: Sail only; gaff‑rigged fore‑and‑aft.
- Hull: Wood, shallow‑draft for river and harbor access.
- Special Notes: Underwent extensive repairs in 1862, suggesting prior damage or age‑related wear.
Ownership & Service History
- Initial Owners: Fulton Brothers, Chicago, IL
- Later Owner: Mr. Harvey (date unclear, likely c. 1862 after repairs)
- Service Use: Primarily lumber and wood product transport between Lake Michigan ports.
- Ports of Call: Chicago, Sheboygan, Two Rivers.
- Repairs: 1862 rebuild at unspecified yard; likely reinforced for continued service after nearly a decade of work.
Final Voyage & Loss
- Date: Sunday morning, October 28, 1866
- Incident:
- Charlotte ran ashore at the mouth of the Wolf River (Ahnapee/Algoma, WI) during routine trade.
- Initial salvage attempt by tug Union failed.
- Vessel stripped of outfit, topmast, and jibboom.
- Later purchased by another party; tug Levithan dispatched, but second refloat attempt also failed.
- Disposition:
- Began breaking apart; owners burned the hull to recover iron.
- Milwaukee Sentinel, 12/24/1866: “Burned – The hull of the old schooner Charlotte, beached at Wolf River, has been burned for the iron. A new hull is to be built at Red River, this winter for her outfit.” (Milwaukee Sentinel)
- Casualties: None; 0 lives lost.
Located By & Site Condition
- Status: No known underwater remains; vessel was stripped and burned.
- Modern Site: Nearshore Ahnapee/Algoma, Wisconsin; shoreline has since changed, likely no archaeological remains.
- Discovery/Documentation: Recorded in Wisconsin Historical Society Shipwreck Database and contemporary newspapers.
Notmars & Advisories
- None; vessel was stranded, dismantled, and burned above the waterline.
Resources & Archival Links
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks – Charlotte
- Chronicling America – Milwaukee Sentinel 12/24/1866
- Door County Maritime History Context (general regional reference)
- Google Maps – Approximate Wreck Site
Shore Dive Information
- Dive Status: Not diveable; remains burned and salvaged.
- Nearest Access: Ahnapee/Algoma harbor mouth.
- Emergency Services: Algoma Police/Fire (911 US)
- Permits: Not applicable; no submerged cultural remains.
Conclusion
The schooner Charlotte exemplifies the short, hard service life of mid‑19th century Great Lakes lumber schooners.
Her rapid destruction in 1866 reflects the low salvage priority of aging wooden vessels and the routine practice of burning hulls to recover iron fastenings.
No known structural remains survive, but contemporary newspaper documentation and Wisconsin’s shipwreck registry preserve her historical footprint in the lumber trade era of Lake Michigan.
Keywords & Categories
- Region: Lake Michigan, Kewaunee County, Ahnapee/Algoma
- Vessel type: Two‑mast wooden schooner
- Cargo: Lumber, shingles, fence posts
- Cause of loss: Stranding and abandonment
- Material: Wood, burned for iron
- Period: 1853–1866
- Dive Difficulty: None (no remains)