Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Ella Ellinwood
- Type: Three-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1869
- Builder: East Saginaw, Michigan
- Dimensions: Approx. 48 ft (14.6 m) × 9 ft; Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 158 tons
- Depth at Wreck Site: 3.7 m / 12 ft
- Location: 3.5 miles north of Fox Point, south of Port Washington, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 8604
- Original Owners: Unknown
- Number of Masts: Three
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid-19th-century three-masted schooner built for hauling heavy lumber cargoes across Lake Michigan’s timber trade routes.
Description
Constructed in East Saginaw in 1869, Ella Ellinwood featured a traditional schooner rig and a sturdy hull rated A2 in 1874–75. She was integral in post-Chicago Fire lumber transport operations, moving timber from Michigan’s forests to be used in rapid urban reconstruction. (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
History
Throughout her three decades of service, Ella Ellinwood saw frequent commercial use, notably during Chicago’s reconstruction following the 1871 fire. She suffered at least two incidents: a collision in Chicago Harbor (1873) and a grounding at White Lake (1874), from which she was refloated. On 21 September 1901, she ran aground in heavy smoke (likely from regional forest fires). Instead of being refloated, she lay stranded near Fox Point. A storm on 29 September finished the vessel, breaking her apart and wrecking her in approximately 3.7 m (12 ft) of water.
Significant Incidents
- Collision in Chicago Harbor (1873)
- Grounding at White Lake (1874)
- Ran aground in heavy smoke (21 September 1901)
- Wrecked in a storm (29 September 1901)
Final Disposition
Ella Ellinwood broke apart on the shoal and was declared a total loss. Her remains are still believed to lie on or near that shallow bottom above the wreck.
Current Condition & Accessibility
While her approximate location is known (3.5 mi north of Fox Point, in 12 ft of water), exact GPS coordinates haven’t been recorded in any public dive surveys. The wreck is not widely documented, and Wisconsin’s shipwreck databases list it as present but not precisely charted. (en.wikipedia.org)
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”ella-ellinwood-us-8604″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
Ella Ellinwood represents a classic workhorse schooner of the logging era, with a 32-year career that ended catastrophically after being stranded during smoke-choked conditions. The wreck’s shallow resting place—once noted in Great Lakes Pilot—makes it accessible in principle, though it remains under-documented in modern diving circles. Its story contributes valuable insight into the environmental hazards (e.g., smoke, storms) faced by Great Lakes vessels at the turn of the 20th century.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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