Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Fashion
- Type: Brigantine
- Year Built: 1846
- Builder: Cleveland, Ohio
- Dimensions: 123.5 ft (37.65 m); 24.4 ft (7.45 m); 10.1 ft (3.07 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 282 42/95 tons
- Location: Saugatuck, Michigan
- Official Number: 9189
- Original Owners: William F. Allen Jr. and Sheldon Pease; Holt & Co.; J. McCafferty; Mrs. Shaw
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Fashion was a brigantine, a two-masted sailing vessel with a square-rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged mainmast. She was used extensively in freight trade on the Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Length: 123 ft 6 in (37.65 m)
- Beam: 24 ft 5.25 in (7.45 m)
- Depth: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
- Tonnage (old style): 282 42/95 tons
- Decks: 1
- Masts: 2
She featured standard construction for mid-19th-century lake brigantines, adapted for both bulk goods and specialty cargoes like iron and staves.
History
- 1846: Enrolled at Cleveland, OH, owned by William F. Allen Jr. and Sheldon Pease.
- 1848–1854: Active in Cleveland-Buffalo and Chicago trade, carrying goods including iron, grain, and staves. Sustained several mishaps including grounding, dismasting, and storm damage.
- 1856–1860: Operated by Holt & Co., Chicago; repeatedly damaged in gales and collisions.
- 1865: Rebuilt, possibly by DeGroate, with changes in gross tonnage noted.
- 1866–1876: Changed owners multiple times including J. McCafferty and Mrs. Shaw of Chicago. Suffered rigging losses, leaks, and minor collisions throughout this period.
- 1877, Oct 9: Went ashore and was wrecked off Saugatuck, Michigan on Lake Michigan. No known casualties were recorded, but the vessel was considered a total loss.
Final Disposition
Wrecked ashore at Saugatuck, Michigan, during a storm on 9 October 1877. There is no record of salvage, and the wreck was considered a total loss.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern rediscovery or detailed underwater documentation of the Fashion wreck has been recorded. Presumed buried or destroyed by shoreline action near Saugatuck.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”fashion-us-9189″ title=”References & Links”]
Fashion exemplified the long service life and frequent perils faced by 19th-century wooden cargo vessels on the Great Lakes. Serving for over three decades, she encountered numerous storms and mechanical failures before her final wreck at Saugatuck. Her career reflects the resilience of these vessels and the evolving ownership and trade practices of the period.
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
- Name(s): Fashion
- Registration Number: 9189
- Year Built: 1846
- Place Built: Cleveland, Ohio
- Final Location: Saugatuck, Michigan, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 9 October 1877
- Cause: Ashore and wrecked in storm conditions
Vessel Type
Fashion was a brigantine, a two-masted sailing vessel with a square-rigged foremast and fore-and-aft rigged mainmast. She was used extensively in freight trade on the Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Length: 123 ft 6 in (37.65 m)
- Beam: 24 ft 5.25 in (7.45 m)
- Depth: 10 ft 1 in (3.07 m)
- Tonnage (old style): 282 42/95 tons
- Decks: 1
- Masts: 2
She featured standard construction for mid-19th-century lake brigantines, adapted for both bulk goods and specialty cargoes like iron and staves.
History
- 1846: Enrolled at Cleveland, OH, owned by William F. Allen Jr. and Sheldon Pease.
- 1848–1854: Active in Cleveland-Buffalo and Chicago trade, carrying goods including iron, grain, and staves. Sustained several mishaps including grounding, dismasting, and storm damage.
- 1856–1860: Operated by Holt & Co., Chicago; repeatedly damaged in gales and collisions.
- 1865: Rebuilt, possibly by DeGroate, with changes in gross tonnage noted.
- 1866–1876: Changed owners multiple times including J. McCafferty and Mrs. Shaw of Chicago. Suffered rigging losses, leaks, and minor collisions throughout this period.
- 1877, Oct 9: Went ashore and was wrecked off Saugatuck, Michigan on Lake Michigan. No known casualties were recorded, but the vessel was considered a total loss.
Final Disposition
Wrecked ashore at Saugatuck, Michigan, during a storm on 9 October 1877. There is no record of salvage, and the wreck was considered a total loss.
Located By & Date Found
No modern rediscovery or detailed underwater documentation of the Fashion wreck has been recorded. Presumed buried or destroyed by shoreline action near Saugatuck.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes – Fashion
- Great Lakes Ships – Entry: FASHION
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- Erik Heyl, Early American Steamers
- Donald V. Baut Collection
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Newspaper clippings (available via MaritimeHistoryoftheGreatLakes.ca)
Conclusion
Fashion exemplified the long service life and frequent perils faced by 19th-century wooden cargo vessels on the Great Lakes. Serving for over three decades, she encountered numerous storms and mechanical failures before her final wreck at Saugatuck. Her career reflects the resilience of these vessels and the evolving ownership and trade practices of the period.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Brigantine, wooden sailing vessel, Lake Michigan, 19th-century shipping, cargo schooner, Great Lakes trade, maritime casualty, storm loss, commercial sailing fleet.