Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Kate E. Howard US 14169

Explore the wreck of the Kate E. Howard, a historic 19th-century lumber schooner lost in Lake Michigan during a storm in 1911.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Kate E. Howard
  • Type: schooner
  • Year Built: 1867
  • Builder: Andrew Anderson
  • Dimensions: Length 97.3 ft (29.6 m); Beam 21.9 ft (6.7 m); Depth of hold 6.4 ft (1.95 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 96.37 GRT
  • Location: Near Bay View, Milwaukee County, Lake Michigan
  • Coordinates: N 43° 04.278′ W 87° 51.266′
  • Official Number: 14169
  • Original Owners: Warren & Howard of Holland, Michigan; John A. Carlson, Marinette, Michigan
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Kate E. Howard was a wooden, two-masted schooner designed for the lumber trade, typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes vessels.

Description

The Kate E. Howard was a wooden, 2-masted lumber schooner typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes trade. Designed for the movement of timber from Michigan’s northern ports to Wisconsin and Illinois, she was light and shallow-drafted, with a gross tonnage under 100 tons, enabling access to smaller harbors.

By 1878 she had been rebuilt after extensive use. After decades of service, she was considered an aging workhorse and primarily used in short-haul lumber trade along the western Lake Michigan shore.

History

  • 1867 – Enrolled at Grand Haven for $11,000 (rated B1 by 1874, value $4,500)
  • June 1877 – Beached at Holland, MI; sail repairs performed
  • 1878 – Rebuilt and continued in the lumber trade
  • May 1883 – Capsized near Evanston, IL; heavily damaged; repaired at Chicago
  • Early 1900s – Operated out of Marinette, WI, hauling lumber to Milwaukee and Port Washington

Significant Incidents

  • Date: May 2–3, 1911
  • Cargo: Lumber from Boyne City, Michigan to either Port Washington or Manitowoc
  • Incident:
    • Caught in severe weather off North Point near Milwaukee
    • Schooner capsized and filled with water, nearly turning turtle
    • Crew of four (Captain + 3 men) clung to the partially sunken vessel until rescued by the steamer Bessemer around 5 p.m.
    • Cargo was later removed in Milwaukee, the vessel stripped of valuables, and beached at Bay View to prevent navigation hazard
  • Lives Lost: None

Final Disposition

  • Last enrollment surrendered May 1, 1911 at Grand Haven: “Vessel Lost”
  • Beached at Bay View, Milwaukee, after stripping and cargo removal
  • Remains not located, but likely buried in shallow nearshore sediments north of St. Francis
  • Considered archaeologically significant if found; represents a class of late lumber schooners transitioning out of service by the 1910s

Current Condition & Accessibility

  • Status: Not currently confirmed as a dive site; buried nearshore wreck remains are possible
  • Depth: Likely < 15 ft / 4.5 m (shallow beached area)
  • Entry: Accessible only by small boat or kayak near Bay View shoreline
  • Conditions: Silty, low visibility; likely buried or scattered timber debris
  • Permits: Wisconsin DNR / State Archaeologist notification required before disturbance

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”kate-e-howard-us-14169″ title=”References & Links”]

The Kate E. Howard is historically significant as a surviving example of a 19th-century lumber schooner, which endured multiple rebuilds and mishaps before her final loss in 1911. Her wreck, if rediscovered, would provide valuable insight into Great Lakes lumber trade vessels of the period and their end-of-life practices, including beaching and salvage.

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 Names & Type:
    • Kate E. Howard – wooden two-masted schooner
    • Cargo schooner, lumber carrier
  • Registration & Dimensions:
    • Official No. 14169
    • Length 29.6 m (97.3 ft)
    • Beam 6.7 m (21.9 ft)
    • Depth of hold 1.95 m (6.4 ft)
    • Gross Tonnage 96.37 GRT
  • Hull: Wood, sail propulsion, 2 masts
  • Builder: Andrew Anderson, Holland, Michigan (1867)
  • Original Owners: Warren & Howard of Holland, Michigan
  • Final Owner: John A. Carlson, Marinette, Michigan
  • Home Port: Grand Haven, Michigan
  • Location of Loss: Near Bay View, Milwaukee County, Lake Michigan
    • Coordinates: N 43° 04.278′ W 87° 51.266′
    • Nearest City: Bay View, Milwaukee

Description

The Kate E. Howard was a wooden, 2-masted lumber schooner typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes trade. Designed for the movement of timber from Michigan’s northern ports to Wisconsin and Illinois, she was light and shallow‑drafted, with a gross tonnage under 100 tons, enabling access to smaller harbors.

By 1878 she had been rebuilt after extensive use. After decades of service, she was considered an aging workhorse and primarily used in short-haul lumber trade along the western Lake Michigan shore.

Service History

  • 1867 – Enrolled at Grand Haven for $11,000 (rated B1 by 1874, value $4,500)
  • June 1877 – Beached at Holland, MI; sail repairs performed
  • 1878 – Rebuilt and continued in the lumber trade
  • May 1883 – Capsized near Evanston, IL; heavily damaged; repaired at Chicago
  • Early 1900s – Operated out of Marinette, WI, hauling lumber to Milwaukee and Port Washington

Final Voyage

  • Date: May 2–3, 1911
  • Cargo: Lumber from Boyne City, Michigan to either Port Washington or Manitowoc
  • Incident:
    • Caught in severe weather off North Point near Milwaukee
    • Schooner capsized and filled with water, nearly turning turtle
    • Crew of four (Captain + 3 men) clung to the partially sunken vessel until rescued by the steamer Bessemer around 5 p.m.
    • Cargo was later removed in Milwaukee, the vessel stripped of valuables, and beached at Bay View to prevent navigation hazard
  • Lives Lost: None

Primary Newspaper Account:

“The Howard filled with water and almost turned turtle. … The steamer Bessemer hove in sight just as the unfortunate sailors were about to give up all hope, and were taken aboard and brought into port.”
— Buffalo Evening News, May 3, 1911 (Newspapers.com, Chronicling America)

Final Disposition

  • Last enrollment surrendered May 1, 1911 at Grand Haven: “Vessel Lost”
  • Beached at Bay View, Milwaukee, after stripping and cargo removal
  • Remains not located, but likely buried in shallow nearshore sediments north of St. Francis
  • Considered archaeologically significant if found; represents a class of late lumber schooners transitioning out of service by the 1910s

Notmars & Advisories

  • None officially noted beyond Milwaukee Harbor local warnings, 1911

Resources & Archival Links

Shore Dive / Wreck Access

  • Status: Not currently confirmed as a dive site; buried nearshore wreck remains are possible
  • Depth: Likely < 15 ft / 4.5 m (shallow beached area)
  • Entry: Accessible only by small boat or kayak near Bay View shoreline
  • Conditions: Silty, low visibility; likely buried or scattered timber debris
  • Permits: Wisconsin DNR / State Archaeologist notification required before disturbance

Conclusion

The Kate E. Howard is historically significant as a surviving example of a 19th‑century lumber schooner, which endured multiple rebuilds and mishaps before her final loss in 1911. Her wreck, if rediscovered, would provide valuable insight into Great Lakes lumber trade vessels of the period and their end‑of‑life practices, including beaching and salvage.

kate-e-howard-us-14169 1911-05-02 01:44:00