Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

L.W. Perry (1870)

Explore the remains of the L.W. Perry, a wooden schooner abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River after a collision in 1896.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: L.W. Perry
  • Type: Schooner
  • Year Built: 1870
  • Builder: Fitzgerald & Leighton
  • Dimensions: Length ~ 128 ft (39 m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: 254 tons
  • Location: Kinnickinnic River, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Wooden schooner built in 1870 at Port Huron, Michigan.

Description

The L.W. Perry was primarily used for the lumber trade but also carried coal, ore, and grain.

History

In the fall of 1896, the L.W. Perry collided with the schooner H.C. Winslow off Port Washington, Wisconsin. After the collision, the vessel was raised but remained wrecked and was towed into a slip on the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee. By 1897, it was abandoned in place, and river pirates looted the vessel, stripping the cabin and engine.

Significant Incidents

  • Collision with the schooner H.C. Winslow in fall 1896.
  • Raised after the collision but remained wrecked.
  • Abandoned in 1897, with subsequent looting documented.

Final Disposition

No confirmed recent discoveries of wreckage; remains likely still lie in or near the original slip on the Milwaukee River. The location has not been verified by modern dives or surveys.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The L.W. Perry is listed among Milwaukee-area shipwrecks in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary registry, which documents vessels abandoned or wrecked in Lake Michigan and its rivers.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”l-w-perry-1870″ title=”References & Links”]

The L.W. Perry, a 128-foot schooner, was abandoned after collision-related damage in Milwaukee harbor circa 1897. No lives were lost, but historical salvage and looting have been documented. The vessel is registered in Wisconsin’s maritime heritage records.

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.

(Schooner, 1870–1897)

Overview

  • Type & Specs: Wooden schooner built in 1870 at Port Huron, Michigan by Fitzgerald & Leighton; length ~ 128 ft, gross tonnage ~ 254 tons (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
  • Primary Use: Built for the lumber trade; also carried coal, ore and grain (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Final Voyage & Disposition

  • In fall 1896, L.W. Perry collided with the schooner H.C. Winslow off Port Washington, Wisconsin.
  • Raised afterward, but remained wrecked and was towed into a slip on the Kinnickinnic River in Milwaukee.
  • Subsequently abandoned in place by 1897; river pirates looted the vessel—stripping the cabin and engine—and she may have been moved within the river (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Current Status

Contextual Importance

  • Listed among Milwaukee-area shipwrecks in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary registry, which documents vessels abandoned or wrecked in Lake Michigan and its rivers (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).

Sources & Further Resources

  • Vessel details & abandonment record: Wisconsin Shipwrecks database for L.W. Perry (1870) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
  • Broader listing of Milwaukee shipwrecks including L.W. Perry: Wisconsin Shipwrecks website (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
  • Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary for broader context and heritage stewardship (NOAA Sanctuaries)

Summary

  • L.W. Perry, a 128-foot schooner built in 1870, abandoned after collision-related damage in Milwaukee harbor circa 1897.
  • Abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River, likely still there in unidentified remains.
  • No lives lost, but historical salvage and looting documented.
  • Registered in Wisconsin’s maritime heritage records.

You can explore additional records or imagery via the Wisconsin Shipwrecks website or contact the Milwaukee Public Museum and Wisconsin Historical Society archives for possible historic photos or further documentation. (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

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