Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Franklin
- Type: Wooden schooner
- Year Built: circa 1816
- Builder: Presque Isle, Pennsylvania (inferred)
- Dimensions: Unknown
- Registered Tonnage: ~73 tons
- Location: Off Grand River mouth, near Fairport Harbor, Lake Erie
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: Unknown
- Original Owners: P. S. V. Hamot
- Number of Masts: Two-mast rig (inferred)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Franklin was a small wooden schooner designed for early 19th-century inland trade on the Great Lakes. She likely had a two-mast rig and was constructed using regional hardwoods.
Description
Her primary cargoes included general merchandise, such as dry goods and salt, transported between ports such as Buffalo, Erie, and points west. The vessel was owned by Erie merchant Pierre S. V. Hamot.
History
Franklin was employed in commercial trade on Lake Erie. She loaded cargo in Buffalo and departed Erie on 16 October 1820 for an unspecified upper lake destination. The schooner was last seen anchored near the mouth of the Grand River (present-day Fairport Harbor, Ohio). During a severe storm on the night of 11 November 1820, her captain, Charles Hayt, reportedly chose to leave the anchorage and attempt to run before the weather. The vessel foundered several miles offshore, resulting in the loss of all four crew members.
Significant Incidents
- 11 November 1820: Foundered during a storm after leaving anchorage at the Grand River mouth; all hands lost.
Final Disposition
Franklin sank with the total loss of crew and cargo. Her wreck has never been located, and no underwater surveys or archaeological documentation confirm her final resting place.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck of Franklin has not been discovered. No known site documentation, mapping, or imaging exists. The vessel remains unlocated as of 2025.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”franklin-c1816″ title=”References & Links”]
Further research is recommended to locate the wreck and honor the memory of Captain Charles Hayt and his crew, who were lost at sea.
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.
Lead Image
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
Description
Franklin was a small wooden schooner built around 1816 at Presque Isle, Pennsylvania. Designed for early 19th-century inland trade on the Great Lakes, she likely had a two-mast rig, no auxiliary power, and was constructed using regional hardwoods. Her primary cargoes were general merchandise, such as dry goods and salt, transported between ports such as Buffalo, Erie, and points west.History
Owned by Erie merchant Pierre S. V. Hamot, Franklin was employed in commercial trade on Lake Erie. According to regional histories, she loaded cargo in Buffalo and departed Erie on 16 October 1820 for an unspecified upper lake destination. She never returned. The schooner was last seen anchored near the mouth of the Grand River (present-day Fairport Harbor, Ohio). During a severe storm on the night of 11 November 1820, her captain, Charles Hayt, reportedly chose to leave the anchorage and attempt to run before the weather. The vessel foundered several miles offshore. All four aboard were lost.Final Dispositions
Franklin foundered during a Lake Erie storm after her captain made the decision to put to sea from an anchorage at the Grand River mouth. The vessel sank with the total loss of crew and cargo. Her wreck has never been located.Located By & Date Found
The wreck of Franklin has not been discovered. No underwater surveys or archaeological documentation confirm her final resting place.Notmars & Advisories
None noted.Dive Information
Access: Not applicable – site not located Entry Point: Not applicable Conditions: Unknown Depth Range: Unknown Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard District 9; local Fairport Harbor authorities Permits: Not applicable Dive Support: Not applicableCrew & Casualty Memorials
Identified: Captain Charles Hayt Unidentified: Three crew members from Erie vicinity No known grave or memorial markers. Additional research recommended via Find A Grave and Erie County probate archives.Documented Statements & Extracts
“The schooner Franklin, owned by P. S. V. Hamot, loaded at Buffalo for an upper port, left Erie on the 16th of October, 1820, and was never seen afterward. Capt. Hayt and three men, all residents of Erie or vicinity, were lost.” — History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (1884)
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
No U.S. official number recorded. The vessel was privately owned by Hamot, a prominent Erie merchant. No insurance records, enrollment documents, or manifests have been located in digitized archives. Further search recommended through Erie County legal and maritime registers (pre-1830s).Site Documentation & Imaging
No known site documentation, mapping, or imaging exists. Franklin remains unlocated as of 2025.Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
- Newspapers.com
- Find A Grave
References
- Bates, Samuel P., History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (1884)
- Shotline Diving — Wreck Summary for Franklin (c1816)
- Alchem Inc. — Erie-Ashtabula Shipwrecks Table