Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Great West
- Type: Three-masted barkentine
- Year Built: 1854
- Builder: George S. Weeks, Buffalo, New York
- Dimensions: Length 192 ft (58.5 m); Beam 33.6 ft (10.2 m); Depth 13.9 ft (4.2 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 765 tons
- Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 10149
- Number of Masts: Three
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
At launch, Great West stood as the largest sailing vessel built specifically for inland Great Lakes waters—reflecting a transitional period as grain shipping boomed. The barkentine rig offered a balance of downwind power from square sails and windward performance with fore-and-aft sails.
Description
The Great West was a wooden three-masted barkentine, notable for its size and design tailored for the Great Lakes. It was built in 1854 and had a cargo capacity of approximately 1,200 tons or 40,000 bushels.
History
- May 1854: Launched and enrolled at Buffalo; began regular Buffalo–Chicago service.
- 1854–1866: Suffered numerous mishaps:
- June 1854 collision with steamer Buckeye State in Buffalo harbour.
- Sep 1854 grounding at St. Clair Flats.
- Oct 1854 lost rigging in Milwaukee.
- Multiple collisions (e.g., with schooner Souvenir May 1855 in Milwaukee; barque Sonora Jun 1862 in Detroit River; bark R.J. Sanborn Jun 1863 off Point Pelee).
- Sunk 1855 in Sarnia Bay with oats cargo—later raised in July.
- Sank again Oct 1866 after striking Racine Reef; subsequently grounded at Kenosha and broke up in ensuing weeks.
Significant Incidents
- June 1854: Collision with Buckeye State.
- Sep 1854: Grounding at St. Clair Flats.
- Oct 1854: Lost rigging in Milwaukee.
- May 1855: Collision with Souvenir.
- Jun 1862: Collision with Sonora.
- Jun 1863: Collision with R.J. Sanborn.
- 1855: Sunk in Sarnia Bay, later raised.
- Oct 1866: Struck Racine Reef, grounded at Kenosha.
Final Disposition
On the night of October 9, 1866, carrying 800 tons of coal bound for Chicago, Great West struck Racine Reef off Racine, Wisconsin. To avoid sinking, her crew ran her ashore south of Kenosha around 6 AM on October 10. Over the following weeks, the hull broke apart and was lost to the shoreline.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Not a submerged wreck. The vessel was intentionally grounded and subsequently dismantled onshore; no archaeological dive site exists.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”great-west-us-10149″ title=”References & Links”]
The Great West typifies mid-19th-century Great Lakes maritime enterprise—built as a bold experiment in inland sail transport, yet repeatedly struck by misfortune across its dozen-year service. Her final demise in 1866 marked the end of one of the era’s largest wooden sailing vessels, leaving no wreck underwater but a legacy of Great Lakes nautical 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
- Name: Great West
- Year Built: 1854
- Official No.: 10149
- Built at: Buffalo, New York by George S. Weeks (Master Carpenter: Smith Ryland)
- Type: Three-masted barkentine
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: One
- Masts: Three
- Dimensions: Length 192 ft (58.5 m); Beam 33.6 ft (10.2 m); Depth 13.9 ft (4.2 m)
- Tonnage (old style): 765 tons
- Cargo Capacity: 1,200 tons or approximately 40,000 bushels
Vessel Type
At launch, Great West stood as the largest sailing vessel built specifically for inland Great Lakes waters—reflecting a transitional period as grain shipping boomed. The barkentine rig offered a balance of downwind power from square sails and windward performance with fore-and-aft sails.
History
- May 1854: Launched and enrolled at Buffalo; began regular Buffalo–Chicago service.
- 1854–1866: Suffered numerous mishaps:
- June 1854 collision with steamer Buckeye State in Buffalo harbour.
- Sep 1854 grounding at St. Clair Flats.
- Oct 1854 lost rigging in Milwaukee.
- Multiple collisions (e.g., with schooner Souvenir May 1855 in Milwaukee; barque Sonora Jun 1862 in Detroit River; bark R.J. Sanborn Jun 1863 off Point Pelee).
- Sunk 1855 in Sarnia Bay with oats cargo—later raised in July.
- Sank again Oct 1866 after striking Racine Reef; subsequently grounded at Kenosha and broke up in ensuing weeks (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, alcheminc.com, wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
Final Disposition
On the night of October 9, 1866, carrying 800 tons of coal bound for Chicago, Great West struck Racine Reef off Racine, Wisconsin. To avoid sinking, her crew ran her ashore south of Kenosha around 6 AM on October 10. Over the following weeks, the hull broke apart and was lost to the shoreline (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
Located By & Date Found
Not a submerged wreck. The vessel was intentionally grounded and subsequently dismantled onshore; no archaeological dive site exists.
Notmars & Advisories
None active. Being a shore-grounded casualty and absent from navigable channels, she is not referenced in modern hazard notices.
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks – Profile of Great West No. 1 detailing grounding and break‑up (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Historical listings and Great Lakes incident logbooks (various maritime archives)
Conclusion
The Great West typifies mid-19th-century Great Lakes maritime enterprise—built as a bold experiment in inland sail transport, yet repeatedly struck by misfortune across its dozen-year service. Her final demise in 1866 marked the end of one of the era’s largest wooden sailing vessels, leaving no wreck underwater but a legacy of Great Lakes nautical history.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Great West, barkentine, Buffalo‑built sailer, Great Lakes sail transport, 1866 grounding, Kenosha, Racine Reef, inland vessel, maritime collisions, wooden ship, 19th century