Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: LA PETITE
- Type: wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1866
- Builder: J. Ketchum
- Dimensions: Length: 119 ft (36.3 m); Beam: 23.58 ft (7.2 m); Depth of hold: 8.25 ft (2.5 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 125.05 tons
- Location: Off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 15100
- Original Owners: Theodore Plathner, Milwaukee, WI
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Three-masted wooden schooner, commonly used on the Great Lakes in the 19th century for general cargo trade. Rigged for sailing and later modified with increased length and tonnage.
Description
- Builder: J. Ketchum
- Build Location: Huron, Ohio
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Masts: 3
- Original Dimensions:
- Length: 94.66 ft (28.9 m)
- Beam: 21.25 ft (6.5 m)
- Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 122.16 tons
- Post-1872 Dimensions (after lengthening):
- Length: 119 ft (36.3 m)
- Beam: 23.58 ft (7.2 m)
- Depth: 8.25 ft (2.5 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 125.05 tons
History
- 1866: Enrolled at Sandusky, OH; early incidents include deck cargo loss on Lake Erie.
- 1869: Collision damage in Cleveland, OH.
- 1871, Oct 20: Capsized in a gale on Lake Huron and abandoned; recovered by tug BROCKWAY days later.
- 1872: Lengthened at Clay Banks, WI.
- 1874, Nov 11: Leaking incident near Big Point Sable, Lake Michigan; went aground.
- 1878–1883: Series of groundings and repairs, operated under multiple owners across Huron and Milwaukee.
- 1896: Topside rebuilt at Milwaukee Drydock Co.
- 1903: Final voyage under ownership of Theodore Plathner, Milwaukee, WI.
Significant Incidents
- Foundered after leaking while under tow on 7 September 1903.
- Casualties: None reported; crew rescued by U.S. Life Saving Service.
Final Disposition
On 7 September 1903, while en route from Torch Lake, MI to Milwaukee, WI, LA PETITE began leaking and was subsequently taken in tow. Despite these efforts, she foundered off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew was safely rescued by the U.S. Life Saving Service. The cargo of crockery and wood slabs was lost with the vessel.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed discovery or modern documentation of the wreck exists. Presumed broken up and unrecovered off the coast of Sturgeon Bay.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”la-petite-us-15100″ title=”References & Links”]
LA PETITE served over three decades on the Great Lakes, illustrating the durability and adaptability of wooden schooners during the 19th century. Modified and repaired numerous times, her career was punctuated by collisions, capsizings, and groundings before finally succumbing to structural failure while under tow. Her end marks a typical fate for aging wooden vessels as steam and steel came to dominate lake shipping.
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: LA PETITE
- Official Number: 15100
- Year Built: 1866
- Final Location: Off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 7 September 1903
- How Lost: Foundered after leaking while under tow
- Final Cargo: Crockery and wood slabs
- Casualties: None reported; crew rescued by U.S. Life Saving Service
Vessel Type
Three-masted wooden schooner, commonly used on the Great Lakes in the 19th century for general cargo trade. Rigged for sailing and later modified with increased length and tonnage.
Description
- Builder: J. Ketchum
- Build Location: Huron, Ohio
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Masts: 3
- Original Dimensions:
- Length: 94.66 ft (28.9 m)
- Beam: 21.25 ft (6.5 m)
- Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 122.16 tons
- Post-1872 Dimensions (after lengthening):
- Length: 119 ft (36.3 m)
- Beam: 23.58 ft (7.2 m)
- Depth: 8.25 ft (2.5 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 125.05 tons
History
- 1866: Enrolled at Sandusky, OH; early incidents include deck cargo loss on Lake Erie.
- 1869: Collision damage in Cleveland, OH.
- 1871, Oct 20: Capsized in a gale on Lake Huron and abandoned; recovered by tug BROCKWAY days later.
- 1872: Lengthened at Clay Banks, WI.
- 1874, Nov 11: Leaking incident near Big Point Sable, Lake Michigan; went aground.
- 1878–1883: Series of groundings and repairs, operated under multiple owners across Huron and Milwaukee.
- 1896: Topside rebuilt at Milwaukee Drydock Co.
- 1903: Final voyage under ownership of Theodore Plathner, Milwaukee, WI.
Final Disposition
On 7 September 1903, while en route from Torch Lake, MI to Milwaukee, WI, LA PETITE began leaking and was subsequently taken in tow. Despite these efforts, she foundered off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew was safely rescued by the U.S. Life Saving Service. The cargo of crockery and wood slabs was lost with the vessel.
Located By & Date Found
No confirmed discovery or modern documentation of the wreck exists. Presumed broken up and unrecovered off the coast of Sturgeon Bay.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Vessels Database – Bowling Green State University
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- U.S. Life Saving Service incident reports
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
- Newspaper archives via Chronicling America and Newspapers.com
Conclusion
LA PETITE served over three decades on the Great Lakes, illustrating the durability and adaptability of wooden schooners during the 19th century. Modified and repaired numerous times, her career was punctuated by collisions, capsizings, and groundings before finally succumbing to structural failure while under tow. Her end marks a typical fate for aging wooden vessels as steam and steel came to dominate lake shipping.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Keywords: schooner, Lake Michigan, Sturgeon Bay, foundered, wood cargo, sailing vessel, 19th-century Great Lakes
Categories: Cargo schooners, Lake Michigan wrecks, wooden shipwrecks, sail-era maritime losses
Glossary:
- Foundered: To fill with water and sink
- Lengthened: A structural rebuild that extends the hull for more capacity
- Life Saving Service: Predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard focused on rescue operations