Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Freeman (1845)

Explore the wreck of the Freeman, a two-masted schooner that capsized in 1861 while transporting corn on Lake Erie.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Freeman
  • Type: Schooner
  • Year Built: 1845
  • Builder: William Jones, Charleston (now Lorain), Ohio
  • Dimensions: Length 97 ft 2 in (29.6 m); Beam 23 ft 6.5 in (7.17 m); Depth of hold 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 190 33/95 (approx. 190.35 tons)
  • Location: Niagara River mouth, ~4 miles west of Buffalo, New York
  • Original Owners: Charles Hickox, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Two-masted wooden-hulled schooner, designed for bulk cargo transport on the lower Great Lakes. Typical of mid-19th-century inland sail freighters.

Description

The Freeman was built for versatility in lake and port trade, featuring a wooden hull and a single deck. It measured 97 ft 2 in (29.6 m) in length, with a beam of 23 ft 6.5 in (7.17 m) and a depth of 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m). The vessel had a registered tonnage of approximately 190.35 tons.

History

  • 30 Apr 1845: Enrolled in Cleveland, OH
  • 23 Nov 1845: Damaged in Lake Erie gale
  • 1848: Used for wheat transport from Buffalo to Cleveland
  • 1851: Underwent large-scale repairs
  • 1852–1857: Changed ownership multiple times across Michigan and Ohio; grounded at Belle Isle (1857)
  • Oct 1860: Freed by tug Oswego after grounding off Point au Pelee
  • 6 May 1861: While transporting 8,983 bushels of corn from Detroit to Buffalo, the Freeman struck a submerged reef near the mouth of the Niagara River and capsized. She was raised but never returned to service.

Significant Incidents

  • Capsized in Lake Erie after grounding on a reef.
  • Five crew members drowned during the incident.

Final Disposition

The Freeman capsized in Lake Erie after grounding on a reef. Five crew members drowned. The ship was raised by salvage teams but found unfit for further use, ultimately deemed a total loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No modern dive or wreck site located. The wreck is likely dismantled or deteriorated post-recovery in 1861.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”freeman-1845″ title=”References & Links”]

The Freeman typifies early Great Lakes schooners—well-used, frequently repaired, and exposed to significant risk across decades of service. Her loss in 1861 marked the culmination of a 16-year career punctuated by gales, strandings, and eventual tragedy near a key shipping hub. The death of five sailors emphasizes the perils of reef navigation near Buffalo. Her wreck has not been located, but remains an important footnote in Erie navigation history.

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: Freeman
  • Year built: 1845
  • Builder: William Jones, Charleston (now Lorain), Ohio
  • Original owner: Charles Hickox, Cleveland, Ohio
  • Date lost: 6 May 1861
  • Final location: Niagara River mouth, ~4 miles west of Buffalo, New York, Lake Erie

Vessel Type

Two-masted wooden-hulled schooner, designed for bulk cargo transport on the lower Great Lakes. Typical of mid-19th-century inland sail freighters.

Description

  • Hull material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Length: 97 ft 2 in (29.6 m)
  • Beam: 23 ft 6.5 in (7.17 m)
  • Depth: 9 ft 3 in (2.82 m)
  • Tonnage: 190 33/95 (approx. 190.35 tons)

Built for versatility in lake and port trade, the Freeman had modest tonnage but was capable of long-haul cargo movements.

History

  • 30 Apr 1845: Enrolled in Cleveland, OH
  • 23 Nov 1845: Damaged in Lake Erie gale
  • 1848: Used for wheat transport from Buffalo to Cleveland
  • 1851: Underwent large-scale repairs
  • 1852–1857: Changed ownership multiple times across Michigan and Ohio; grounded at Belle Isle (1857)
  • Oct 1860: Freed by tug Oswego after grounding off Point au Pelee
  • 6 May 1861: While transporting 8,983 bushels of corn from Detroit to Buffalo, the Freeman struck a submerged reef near the mouth of the Niagara River and capsized. She was raised but never returned to service.

Final Disposition

Capsized in Lake Erie after grounding on a reef. Five crew members drowned. The ship was raised by salvage teams but found unfit for further use. Deemed a total loss.

Located By & Date Found

No modern dive or wreck site located. Likely dismantled or deteriorated post-recovery in 1861.

Notmars & Advisories

None noted.

Crew Casualties & Archival Confirmation

Contemporary summary from Buffalo-based sources:

“Schooner Freeman lost near Buffalo, five of the crew drowned.”
(linkstothepast.com)

Names of the deceased remain unconfirmed. The Buffalo Daily Courier (7–10 May 1861) likely holds obituaries or marine casualty listings. These remain undigitized as of now.

Conclusion

The Freeman typifies early Great Lakes schooners—well-used, frequently repaired, and exposed to significant risk across decades of service. Her loss in 1861 marked the culmination of a 16-year career punctuated by gales, strandings, and eventual tragedy near a key shipping hub. The death of five sailors emphasizes the perils of reef navigation near Buffalo. Her wreck has not been located, but remains an important footnote in Erie navigation history.

Resources & Links

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

  • Keywords: schooner, Lake Erie, Buffalo, reef strike, capsizing, grain cargo
  • Categories: Wooden vessels, Pre-Civil War commerce, Great Lakes disasters
  • Glossary: reef, capsized, enrollment, old tonnage measurement

Would you like a custom map showing the Freeman‘s final voyage route and presumed wreck site?

freeman-1845 1852-05-06 21:57:00