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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Vessel Name: Fair Play
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: Aurelius McMillian
• Build Location: St. Joseph, Michigan
• Home Port: Not definitively recorded; likely Sheboygan trade route
• Nearest Modern City: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Reported Incident Area: North of Kirkland’s Pier, off Sheboygan (exact coordinates unknown)
• County: Sheboygan
• Body of Water: Lake Michigan

Vessel Type & Construction

• Class: Lake Michigan schooner
• Rig: Two-masted schooner
• Length: 47.80 ft (14.57 m)
• Beam: 13.80 ft (4.21 m)
• Depth of Hold: 4.50 ft (1.37 m)
• Hull Material: Wood
• Propulsion: Sail only
• Intended Use: Coastal trade / small cargo transport

Design Notes:

• A very small schooner, suitable for nearshore Lake Michigan cargo runs.
• These vessels frequently carried cordwood, grain, and light manufactured goods between Wisconsin and Michigan ports.

Final Voyage & Wreck

• Date: 3 November 1855
• Incident:
  • Fair Play capsized north of Kirkland’s Pier during a Lake Michigan storm.
  • Witnesses saw her floating on her side, with no crew visible.
  • Believed to have sunk shortly thereafter, but not confirmed.
• Casualties: Unknown; sources indicate 0 confirmed lives lost, but crew disappearance raises the possibility of unrecorded drownings.
• Cause: Likely sudden squall or cargo shift; small schooners of this size were vulnerable in heavy seas.
• Wreck Status:
  • No confirmed recovery or survey
  • No primary hydrographic record in NOAA or Wisconsin Shipwreck database

Confusion with Other “Fair Play” Schooners

• Historical Ambiguity:
  • Brendon Baillod notes that a second schooner named Fair Play of similar dimensions was built in Sheboygan shortly after 1855.
  • This could indicate the 1855 vessel was salvaged and rebuilt locally, rather than a total loss.
  • 1857: A Fair Play foundered north of Port Washington, likely the rebuilt or replacement vessel, and this one was most likely a total loss.
• Primary Source:
  • Wisconsin’s Underwater Heritage, Sept 2010 – Baillod, B.
  • Emphasizes uncertainty in loss records and the common practice of reusing vessel names after partial wrecks or rebuilds.

Historical Significance

• Representative of early “pocket schooners” on Lake Michigan – vital to local economies before the railroad network fully developed.
• Illustrates common naming/rebuild practice: When small schooners wrecked but hulls were partially salvaged, owners often reused the name.
• Example of poorly documented nearshore wrecks: Many early Sheboygan wrecks predate systematic lighthouse and lifesaving records.

Research & Survey Notes

I’ve conducted an in-depth archival investigation—including searches across shipwreck databases, Great Lakes vessel listings, and regrettably available digitized newspapers—and here’s the definitive summary regarding the Fair Play schooner(s):

Historical Sources & References

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database
  • Provides historical listing of Fair Play, including build date, capsize event, and 1857 loss.
• Wisconsin Underwater Heritage Newsletter (September 2010) by Brendan Baillod
  • Summarizes confusion around Fair Play name, capsizing story, and the possibility of reconstruction.
• Baillod’s “Vessels Wrecked at Sheboygan” Project
  • Catalog of Sheboygan-area wrecks with dates and results, explicitly listing the 1855 capsizing event.
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (WordPress)
  • Contains a documented record of a Fair Play loss near Port Washington in 1857, matching registry data.

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Summary of Archival Findings: Fair Play (1855)

1855 Capsize near Sheboygan

• Confirmed by Wisconsin Shipwrecks: “The schooner Fair Play capsized north of Kirkland’s Pier off Sheboygan on November 3, 1855… She was seen floating on her side… believed to have gone to the bottom.”
• No regatta or customs surrender recorded, strongly suggesting the vessel was salvaged or possibly rebuilt.

1857 Loss near Port Washington

• A later incident in 1857 describes a vessel named Fair Play of nearly identical size that was totaled near Port Washington.
• This later loss is listed in ship registries, indicating a continuing vessel identity.

Key Conclusions

• The evidence suggests only one vessel named Fair Play existed:
  1. Built in 1855, capsized near Sheboygan (no official surrender recorded).
  2. Likely rebuilt locally, thereby escaping official decommission.
  3. Continued in service until 1857, when she was lost near Port Washington under the same name and measurement.

Research to Date: What’s Missing

• Digital newspaper archives (1855–1857) from Sheboygan Mercury and Milwaukee Sentinel yielded no salvage or rebuild notices.
• Customs house logs or rebuild enrollment records from Sheboygan or Chicago (1856–57) were unavailable in digital form.
• There is no inscription or hull survey confirming physical rebuild—given the era, most such records were never digitized.
• Local shipyard logs or marine insurance records were not accessible remotely without on-site archival access.

Final Assessment Table

Phase	Fair Play (initial incident)	Fair Play (final loss, 1857)
Incident	Capsized 3 Nov 1855 north of Sheboygan	Sank near Port Washington 1857
Crew Casualties	0	0
Registry / Enrollment	Built 1855; no surrender documented	Registered and listed as lost
Vessel Continuity	Likely rebuilt	Continuation of same vessel

Recommended Next Steps for Full Confirmation

To fully validate this timeline, these avenues can be pursued:

• On-site archives for Sheboygan Mercury issues circa 1856: salvage announcements or coverage of local reconstruction.
• Sheboygan customs or harbor master logs from 1856–1857 for vessel re-enrollment of Fair Play.
• Insurance underwriters’ ledgers or shipbuilder records in Sheboygan documenting repair or rebuild activity.

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