Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: LEWIS CASS
- Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
- Year Built: 1846
- Builder: A. Bradley
- Dimensions: 98 × 24 × 9 ft (29.9 × 7.3 × 2.7 m); 192 tons
- Registered Tonnage: 192 tons
- Location: Near Bailey's Harbor, Lake Michigan
- Official Number: None
- Original Owners: Capron & Russell of Conneaut, Ohio
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Lewis Cass was a wooden, two-masted schooner typical of mid-19th-century Great Lakes lumber transport vessels.
Description
At approximately 30 m (98 ft) in length, the Lewis Cass had a hull designed for cargo carriage—primarily lumber—with a moderate beam and shallow draft suited to varied lake conditions.
History
Built in 1846 in Vermilion, Ohio, she underwent repairs after multiple incidents in the late 1840s and sustained notable damage in collision and grounding events in 1852 and 1854. In 1860, she underwent major repairs. On her final voyage in October 1865, while bound for Bailey’s Harbor, she struck a rock at Green Bay’s mouth, was deliberately run ashore south of Bailey’s Harbor, and deemed a total wreck by early November. The schooner’s sails and gear were salvaged. Her remains were abandoned by underwriters; no lives were lost.
Significant Incidents
- Multiple incidents in the late 1840s.
- Notable damage in collision and grounding events in 1852 and 1854.
- Major repairs in 1860.
- Struck a submerged rock on 30 October 1865.
- Declared a total wreck by early November 1865.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss, the Lewis Cass was left wrecked in the surf zone near Bailey’s Harbor. Her remains likely lie scattered along the shoreline or submerged just offshore, broken by wave action.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No underwater surveys have located her remains. No GPS coordinates are available, and she has not been officially identified by modern exploration.
Resources & Links
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The Lewis Cass was a wooden schooner built in 1846, owned by Capron & Russell of Conneaut, and lost on 30 October 1865 after striking a submerged rock near Bailey’s Harbor in a storm. She was run ashore and declared a total wreck with no casualties. The remains likely remain in the surf zone, fragmented and unlocated by modern surveys.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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