Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Flora Temple
- Type: Scow Schooner
- Year Built: 1866
- Builder: St. Joseph, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length ~30 ft (9.14 m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 6.5 gross tons
- Location: Lake Michigan, ~9 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin
- Coordinates: Approx. nine miles Milwaukee/Racine boundary
- Official Number: 9302
- Number of Masts: Single mast or unstayed sail arrangement typical for its class
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Community-scale scow schooner, cargo/light usage, flat bottom suited to shallow drafts, often served local short-haul routes.
Description
The Flora Temple was a small scow schooner built in 1866, measuring approximately 30 feet in length and weighing around 6.5 gross tons. Constructed of wood, it was designed for localized cargo transport.
History
Registered and built for localized cargo use, limited documentation exists beyond vessel registry entries and loss incident. It is noted as one of the smallest commercially registered vessels lost in Wisconsin waters, almost uniquely diminutive in size and tonnage.
Significant Incidents
- Date: July 26, 1870
- A sudden squall struck while she was en route from Chicago to Racine, driving the Flora Temple ashore approximately nine miles north of Racine.
- Outcome: Total wreck; hull destroyed; cargo (if any) survived or is unspecified. Full loss reported but no injuries or fatalities recorded.
- Valuation: $4,500 worth of vessel; insurance claim valued at ~$2,500 (secondary sources suggest $300 insurance, indicating possible discrepancies in reports).
Final Disposition
As a small scow schooner, no remains have been positively located, and given its diminutive size, the wreck is unlikely to remain intact or detectable after 150+ years. No known dive surveys or archaeological documentation exist for this wreck.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Flora Temple is thought to be one of the smallest vessels lost in Wisconsin waters and is likely fully deteriorated or buried in nearshore sands.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”flora-temple-us-9302″ title=”References & Links”]
The Flora Temple serves as a representative of the micro-fleet of 19th-century scow schooners that transported goods on Lake Michigan’s nearshore routes, demonstrating the vulnerability of even sheltered trades to sudden weather events.
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.
(Scow Schooner)
Identification & Site Information
- Official Number: 9302
- Built: 1866 at St. Joseph, Michigan (Registry #9302) as a small scow schooner (~30 ft, 6.5 gross tons) (baillod.com)
- Type: Community‑scale scow schooner, cargo/light usage, flat bottom suited to shallow drafts → often served local short-haul routes
- Final Location: Lake Michigan, ~9 miles north of Racine, Wisconsin (approx. nine miles Milwaukee/Racine boundary) (baillod.com)
Vessel Type & Specifications
- Length: ~30 ft
- Gross Tonnage: ~6.5
- Hull Material: Wood
- Rigging: Small scow schooner, likely single mast or unstayed sail arrangement typical for its class
- Cargo: Likely light — no recorded cargo at the time of final voyage
History & Career
- Registered and built for localized cargo use; limited documentation exists beyond vessel registry entries and loss incident (baillod.com, Wikipedia)
- Among the smallest commercially registered vessels lost in Wisconsin waters — almost uniquely diminutive in size and tonnage
Final Voyage & Loss
- Date: July 26, 1870
- A sudden squall struck while she was en route from Chicago to Racine, driving the Flora Temple ashore approximately nine miles north of Racine (baillod.com)
- Outcome: Total wreck — hull destroyed; cargo (if any) survived or is unspecified. Full loss reported but no injuries or fatalities recorded
- Valuation: $4,500 worth of vessel; insurance claim valued at ~$2,500 (secondary sources suggest $300 insurance, pointing to possible discrepancy in reports) (baillod.com)
Wreck Status & Dive Information
- As a small scow schooner, no remains have been positively located, and given its diminutive size the wreck is unlikely to remain intact or detectable after 150+ years (baillod.com)
- No known dive surveys or archaeological documentation exist for this wreck — Flora Temple is thought to be one of the smallest vessels lost in Wisconsin waters and is likely fully deteriorated or buried in nearshore sands
Significance & Context
- Representative of the micro‑fleet of 19th‑century scow schooners that transported goods on Lake Michigan’s nearshore routes
- Demonstrates vulnerability of even sheltered trades to sudden weather events like squalls
- Listed in Wisconsin Shipwreck Association as rare for its small tonnage class and early date, adding value for researchers focusing on lesser-known maritime heritage in the region
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin’s Underwater Heritage Journal (Winter 2008 edition, p. 88) — includes entry on Flora Temple (#9302) and detailed compile of small wrecks off Racine (baillod.com, baillod.com, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Southwest Lake Michigan Shipwreck Project – mentions Flora Temple driven ashore near Racine Lighthouse pier; part of broader regional wreck survey (silent-helm.com)
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks Database (Lower Lake Michigan region) – vessel listed with minimal data, context on other Racine-area wrecks for comparison (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
Summary Table
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Flora Temple (#9302) |
| Type | Scow‑schooner (~30 ft, 6.5 GT) |
| Built | 1866, St. Joseph, MI |
| Final Voyage | 26 July 1870; en route Chicago → Racine |
| Loss | Driven ashore by sudden squall; total wreck |
| Crew / Lives Lost | 0 reported |
| Wreck Status | Not located; likely destroyed or buried |
| Significance | Smallest registered schooner wreck in WI |
| Key Resources | UWH Journal 2008; Regional survey projects |
Next Research Suggestions:
- Consult Great Lakes Vessel Enrollment Registers for David Swayze or HCGL Victoria lists to trace ownership or operational logs.
- Search Racine or Milwaukee newspaper archives (late July 1870) for storm reporting that may mention the Flora Temple.
- Investigate regional University archives or genealogical societies for insurance claims or harbor patrol logs.