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.

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: E.G. Wolcott
• Former Names: None recorded
• Year Built: 1845 (approximate)
• Date of Loss: 3 December 1847 (reported)
• Depth at Site: Likely shallow, within surf/beach zone; remains not recorded
• Location: Sheboygan Harbor, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: N 43° 44.753′ / W 87° 42.243′
• County: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Nearest City: Sheboygan, WI

Vessel Type

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

Construction Details

• Builder: Unknown
• Construction Site: Presumed Lake Erie region (given early activity on Lake Erie in 1846)
• Hull Material: Wood
• Dimensions: Unknown (likely <100 ft typical for unregistered trading schooners of the 1840s)
• Propulsion: Sail
• Customs Enrollment: None (operated outside official federal registration, possibly as a small trader)

Ownership & Registry

• Home Port: Sheboygan, Wisconsin Territory
• Owner: Not definitively documented; listed as “owned out of Sheboygan” in local records
• Customs Status: Never formally enrolled in U.S. Customs house records, which limits official documentation

Service History

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.

• 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

Final Voyage & Loss

• 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

Casualties

• Lives Lost: 0
• Crew: Unknown; likely 4–6 men typical for small schooners

Site & Archaeological Notes

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

Notmars & Advisories

• None recorded – vessel was destroyed in shallow surf with no long-term navigation hazard

Archival References & Links

• Wisconsin’s Underwater Heritage, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Sept 2010) – Brendan Baillod
• Milwaukee Sentinel & Cleveland Herald, 3 Dec 1847 – Shipwreck report
• Great Lakes Maritime Database – Early Schooners
• Local port lists: Lake Erie & Lake Michigan arrivals, 1846–47 (archival microfilm)

Historical Significance

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

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