E.G. Wolcott (1845)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: E.G. Wolcott
• Type: Sailing schooner
• Year Built: 1845
• Builder: Unknown
• Dimensions: Unknown (likely <100 ft)
• Registered Tonnage: None
• Location: Sheboygan Harbor, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: N 43° 44.753′ / W 87° 42.243′
• Official Number: None
• Original Owners: Not definitively documented; listed as owned out of Sheboygan
• Number of Masts: Likely two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Type: Sailing schooner
• Rig: Schooner (mast count uncertain; likely two)
• Intended Service: General lake trade (small cargoes, local routes)

Description

The E.G. Wolcott was a small 1840s lake schooner that appeared in port arrival and departure lists for Lake Erie and Lake Michigan during 1846–1847.

History

• Cargo Type: Likely mixed local trade (lumber, farm produce, general supplies)
• Routes: Sheboygan to regional Great Lakes ports, with seasonal visits to Lake Erie ports
• Notable Incidents:
  • 16 Nov 1846 – Collision with schooner Lucy J. Blossom, reportedly sunk but salvaged and returned to service
  • 1847 – Continued Sheboygan service until loss in December storm

Significant Incidents

• Date of Loss: 29 November–1 December 1847 (reported in 3 Dec 1847 newspapers)
• Incident Description: “The schooner E.G. Wolcott of Sheboygan, was driven ashore at that port, in the gale of Monday night, and went to pieces.” – Milwaukee Sentinel, cited in Cleveland Herald, 3 Dec 1847
• Cause: Severe late-November gale on Lake Michigan; likely stranded on beach and destroyed by surf
• Casualties: None reported
• Aftermath: No salvage mentioned; vessel likely splintered and lost

Final Disposition

• Present Condition:
  • Likely fully disintegrated by winter storms of 1847–48
  • No surviving timbers or underwater site documented by divers or archaeologists
  • Location inside Sheboygan harbor vicinity, sand-covered if anything remains

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Diving & Heritage Notes:
  • No diveable wreck site known
  • Historical significance lies in documenting undocumented small traders of the early Wisconsin lake economy

Resources & Links

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The E.G. Wolcott represents the fleet of small, undocumented wooden schooners that were critical to Wisconsin’s pre-statehood economy.

• Demonstrates informal trade networks prior to mandatory vessel enrollment
• Example of early Great Lakes commerce and its vulnerability to November storms
• Highlights historical research challenges for vessels outside official registry