Lady Ann (1849)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Lady Ann
• Type: Wooden Sloop
• Year Built: 1849
• Builder: Unknown (Kenosha, Wisconsin)
• Dimensions: Length: 48 ft (14.6 m); Beam: 17 ft (5.2 m); Depth of hold: 5.7 ft (1.7 m)
• Registered Tonnage: ~30 tons
• Location: North side of Kenosha Harbor entrance, Lake Michigan, Wisconsin
• Coordinates: Exact wreck site lost; vessel demolished in surf
• Official Number: None recorded (small craft; locally enrolled at Milwaukee in 1854)
• Original Owners: D. Young (David Youngs), N. Houch, P. Fimmier
• Number of Masts: Single-masted sloop (occasionally reported as schooner-rigged)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Type: Wooden sloop / small lake freighter
• Rig: Single-mast sloop (occasionally reported with fore-and-aft auxiliary rig)
• Use: Winter trade and small harbor cargo runs (wood, brick, general cargo)

Description

Lady Ann was a small but robust wooden sloop built for nearshore Lake Michigan transport. Her shallow draft and double-sided hull made her suitable for winter navigation and light ice conditions. Known for agility and speed, one captain described her as:

“The easiest managed, freest, fastest, staunchest, and prettiest little craft afloat.”

Key features:

• Small open deck plan for cordwood or brick cargo
• Reinforced hull for ice encounters
• Single mast with boom and jib for harbor maneuverability

History

Owners (1855):

• D. Young (David Youngs)
• N. Houch
• P. Fimmier

Notable Service:

• Hauled cordwood, brick, and other small cargoes between Racine, Milwaukee, Chicago, and occasional Michigan ports.
• Operated deep into winter seasons when larger schooners were laid up.

Documented Voyages:

• 15 Jan 1853 – Delivered wood to Morgan & Butler, Milwaukee
• 03 Mar 1853 – Reached Chicago with 20 cords of wood, navigating heavy lake ice
• 07 Mar 1854 – Arrived Milwaukee with 20,000 bricks from Kenosha
• 21 Jul 1854 – Departed Racine for Manitowoc
• 01 Nov 1854 – Sighted departing Grand Haven, MI

Significant Incidents

Notable Incident – Ice Drift Ordeal (Winter 1855)

One of the most harrowing winter episodes for any small Great Lakes vessel:

• 21 Jan 1855 – Lady Ann trapped in a gale and ice off Chicago.
• Anchor chain severed by drifting steam dredge during storm.
• Vessel blown into open lake, then trapped in ice near New Buffalo, MI.
• Captain Easson and crew endured multi-day ice drift, multiple over-ice treks, improvised skiff, and eventual recovery of vessel after weeks adrift.
• Returned Lady Ann safely to port after unprecedented mid-winter survival voyage.

Final Disposition

Final Voyage & Loss

• Date of Loss: Night of 18–20 September 1855 (sources vary slightly; widely reported as 20 September)
• Cause: Attempted nighttime entry to Kenosha Harbor in gale; pier light extinguished
• Event:
  1. Vessel missed channel and struck sand island north of entrance
  2. Mast went over; Lady Ann pounded to pieces in surf
  3. Crew jumped to North Pier, all survived
  4. Loss value estimated ~$500
• Casualties: None

Local papers lamented: “Peace to her timbers; she withstood the buffetings of the winds and waves for a two weeks cruise in the depth of winter, to meet an ignoble fate on a sand beach.”

Current Condition & Accessibility

Wreck Status & Archaeology

• Vessel completely demolished in 1855 storm
• No modern wreckage documented; sands near old Kenosha Harbor have shifted
• Likely scattered timber remains long since buried or removed

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”lady-ann-1849″ title=”References & Links”]

Historical Significance

Lady Ann represents:

• Mid-19th century small-scale commerce on Lake Michigan
• Hazards of early harbor infrastructure and seasonal lake ice navigation
• Survival tale of small craft seamanship under extreme conditions
• Illustrates transition from local sloop trade to larger multi-mast schooner dominance

No physical wreck remains for diving; significance lies in archival documentation and oral maritime heritage.