Colorado (1861)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Colorado
• Type: Bark-rigged schooner
• Year Built: 1861 (sources vary; possibly 1857)
• Builder: Peck and Masters
• Dimensions: 147.90 ft (45.1 m); Beam: 30.50 ft (9.3 m); Depth of hold: 12.10 ft (3.7 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 503.44
• Location: Wind Point, Racine County, WI
• Coordinates: Latitude 42°48.094′N, Longitude 87°45.286′W
• Number of Masts: Three-masted

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Type: Bark-rigged schooner
• Rig: Three-masted schooner-bark
• Propulsion: Sail
• Hull Material: Wood

Description

• Length: 147.90 ft / 45.1 m
• Beam: 30.50 ft / 9.3 m
• Depth of Hold: 12.10 ft / 3.7 m
• Gross Tonnage: 503.44
• Cargo at Loss: Coal for ballast
• Classification: A1 rated
• Declared Value: $20,500 (1861)

History

• Built in Cleveland, Ohio, and enrolled at Buffalo on May 6, 1861
• Operated as a bulk carrier primarily transporting coal and package freight across Lake Michigan
• Sailed under various owners; full enrollment records incomplete

Significant Incidents

• Date of Loss: October 28, 1863
• Cause: Grounding on Wind Point reef during upbound voyage
• Circumstances: Ran ashore 5 miles north of Racine, WI. Efforts to refloat the vessel by unloading coal failed. Cordage and sails were saved.
• Wreck Progression: Eventually slid off the reef and broke up in heavy surf
• Aftermath: Abandoned to underwriters. Sold at auction by Butters for $5,000. Winter storms in January 1864 destroyed the wreck before anything more than rigging could be salvaged.

Final Disposition

• Remains unlocated or unconfirmed. No formal archaeological documentation reported at present.
• Potential remains may exist buried near reef shoals off Wind Point, subject to sediment cover and disturbance.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• None officially noted; wreck occurred in heavily trafficked area but during early navigation period.

Resources & Links

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The Colorado represents the vulnerabilities of early Great Lakes sail commerce — a well-built bark rigged schooner, highly rated and valued, but lost due to reef grounding in foul weather. Despite crew efforts and early auction salvage, the remains of the vessel were fully claimed by Lake Michigan storms. The site near Wind Point remains unconfirmed archaeologically, offering future potential for shallow-water survey.