Greyhound (1853)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Greyhound
• Type: Brig
• Year Built: 1853
• Builder: Conneaut, Ohio
• Dimensions: 130 ft (39.6 m); Beam: 28 ft (8.5 m); Depth of hold: 11 ft (3.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 367 tons
• Location: Off Clay Banks, approx. 1 mile south of Kirkland’s pier, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Coordinates: ~43°44.072′ N, 87°42.479′ W
• Original Owners: Lockwood & Kinney, Buffalo, NY
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Wooden, two-masted brig, used for bulk cargo shipments—here, wheat—across the Great Lakes.

Description

• Built: 1853, Conneaut, Ohio
• Hull: Wood
• Length: 130 ft (39.6 m)
• Beam: 28 ft (8.5 m)
• Depth of Hold: 11 ft (3.4 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 367 tons

History

• Owners: Lockwood & Kinney, Buffalo, NY
• Final Voyage: Departed Chicago on 16 September 1859 carrying 13,000 bushels of wheat consigned to Buffalo, sourced from Watson & Fox.
• Incident: A powerful northeast gale struck on 19 September. Attempting to seek refuge, the brig mistook Sheboygan’s light for Milwaukee’s and was driven ashore near Clay Banks.
• Aftermath: The vessel grounded hard during darkness and rain; anchors were dropped but failed to hold. The brig broke up completely, becoming a total loss along with her cargo.

Significant Incidents

• Grounding during gale; structural failure led to loss.
• One crewman drowned during landing efforts; name unrecorded.

Final Disposition

• Vessel Value: US $15,000
• Insured: Cargo insured by Buffalo Mutual; hull insured for US $4,000 by Hope Company of New York.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Her loss was documented in local Sheboygan newspapers at the time. Contemporary wreck surveys place the remains near Clay Banks, just seaward of the shore. No modern archaeological investigations are known.

Resources & Links

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The Greyhound‘s wreck vividly illustrates the dangers of late-season navigation on Lake Michigan, where sudden northeast gales could prove fatal to even experienced captains. Mistaking lighthouses under poor visibility hastened her demise. Financially, the loss was cushioned by insurance, but personally it remains poignant for the one crew member who drowned. Today, her grounding spot near Sheboygan is remembered as one of several mid-19th-century wheat brig disasters on the lake.