Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Free Trader
- Type: Two-masted wooden freight schooner
- Year Built: 1849
- Builder: David Rogers
- Dimensions: Length 65 ft (19.8 m); Beam 6 ft (1.8 m); Depth of hold Unknown
- Registered Tonnage: 46 tons
- Location: Green Bay, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Approximate – Exact GPS unknown
- Official Number: Not recorded in available databases
- Original Owners: David Rogers
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Cargo schooner built for light freight operations across Lake Ontario and the Great Lakes.
Description
The Free Trader was a small, agile two-masted schooner designed for hauling lumber, ore, fish, and grain across short- and medium-distance lake routes. Her minimal beam and shallow draft allowed close shoreline approaches, ideal for both legitimate cargo and clandestine passenger operations.
History
From 1849 to 1869, the Free Trader was a well-traveled freight schooner operating across Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and eventually Lake Michigan. She experienced multiple minor maritime incidents—including collisions, groundings, and storm damage—indicative of heavy usage.
Noteworthy Historical Entries:
- 1852: Collision with schooner West Wind, Lake Erie
- 1853: Collision near Buffalo with schooner Kosciusko
- 1859: Ashore near Wellington, Ontario; storm damage near Lake Erie islands
- Enrolled in multiple cities: Rochester, Buffalo, Oswego, Cleveland, Milwaukee
Final Disposition
- Date Lost: December 1869
- Location: Green Bay, Lake Michigan
- Final Cargo: Fish
- How Lost: Presumed sunk – unknown cause
- Discovery Status: Not yet located, no sonar or dive identification on record
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil – No verified wreckage identified as Free Trader to date.
Nil – No obstruction warnings or confirmed site markers associated with this vessel.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”free-trader” title=”References & Links”]
The Free Trader exemplifies the untold maritime history of the Underground Railroad on the Great Lakes. Captain Garlock’s quiet heroism, paired with support from abolitionist farming families, turned a commercial schooner into a vessel of liberation. Though the exact wreck site remains undiscovered, her legacy survives in Sodus Point’s cultural and historical memory.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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