Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: ERASTUS BOWEN
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1844
- Builder: Not specifically recorded
- Dimensions: Length 66 ft (20.1 m); Beam 15 ft (4.6 m); Depth of hold 5 ft (1.5 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 42 tons
- Location: Grosse Pointe, near Chicago, Illinois
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Erastus Bowen was a small, two-masted wooden schooner typical of early Great Lakes shipping. Designed for the transport of general cargo including lumber, grain, and household goods, schooners of this size and period operated widely on nearshore trades between Midwest ports.
Description
The Erastus Bowen was launched in 1844 and initially enrolled at Detroit, Michigan, with trade routes linking to other Lake Michigan ports. By 1847, she was re-enrolled at Chicago, indicating her involvement in the fast-growing commerce of Illinois and Wisconsin.
History
In April 1851, the schooner stranded near Grosse Pointe, just below Chicago, while carrying household goods. Little detail survives about the cause of the stranding, but no lives were reported lost. The schooner was likely a total loss or abandoned soon after, as no further enrollment records appear after 1851.
Significant Incidents
- Stranded near Grosse Pointe, Illinois, in April 1851 while carrying household goods.
Final Disposition
Stranded and abandoned near Grosse Pointe, Illinois.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown; presumed scattered or buried nearshore in Lake Michigan.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”erastus-bowen-1844″ title=”References & Links”]
No modern survey or diver location is recorded for the wreck of the Erastus Bowen.
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
- Name: ERASTUS BOWEN (also recorded as BOWEN, E/)
- Year Built: 1844
- Built at: Not specifically recorded
- Vessel Type: Schooner
- Hull Material: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Number of Masts: 2
- Length: 66 feet (20.1 metres)
- Beam: 15 feet (4.6 metres)
- Depth: 5 feet (1.5 metres)
- Tonnage (old style): 42 tons
- Final Location: Grosse Pointe, near Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: April 1851
- How Lost: Stranded
- Final Cargo: Household goods
Vessel Type Description
The Erastus Bowen was a small, two-masted wooden schooner typical of early Great Lakes shipping. Designed for the transport of general cargo including lumber, grain, and household goods, schooners of this size and period operated widely on nearshore trades between Midwest ports.
History
The Erastus Bowen was launched in 1844 and initially enrolled at Detroit, Michigan, with trade routes linking to other Lake Michigan ports. By 1847, she was re-enrolled at Chicago, indicating her involvement in the fast-growing commerce of Illinois and Wisconsin.
In April 1851, the schooner stranded near Grosse Pointe, just below Chicago, while carrying household goods. Little detail survives about the cause of the stranding, but no lives were reported lost. The schooner was likely a total loss or abandoned soon after, as no further enrollment records appear after 1851.
Final Disposition
Stranded and abandoned near Grosse Pointe, Illinois.
NOTMARs & Advisories
None currently noted.
Located By & Date
No modern survey or diver location is recorded for the wreck of the Erastus Bowen.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown; presumed scattered or buried nearshore in Lake Michigan.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU)
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Chronicling America Historic Newspapers
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Schooner, Early Great Lakes Shipping, Lake Michigan Shipwreck, Stranded Vessel, Household Cargo, 19th Century Trade, Grosse Pointe
If you like, I can help you look into any crew or ownership records connected with her as well — just let me know.
erastus-bowen-1844 1851-04-05 02:53:00