Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Liberty
- Type: Schooner (two-masted)
- Year Built: 1861
- Builder: L. Larned
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage: 81.44 tons
- Location: Near Oak Creek, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
- Coordinates: N 42° 54.122' / W 087° 50.544'
- Official Number: 14672
- Original Owners: Original: L. Larned, Cottrellville, MI; Later Master: Captain Michael Doyle
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden two-masted schooner, primarily used for Great Lakes commercial trade.
Description
The Liberty was constructed in 1861 in Cottrellville, Michigan, and was primarily engaged in light bulk cargoes such as hay, feed, and lumber. The vessel was built by L. Larned, who was also its original owner.
History
Throughout its service history, the Liberty was involved in coastwise trade along the Lake Michigan shoreline, serving ports such as Chicago and Milwaukee. It was wrecked in 1872 but was successfully recovered and repaired. The last enrollment was surrendered on April 2, 1880, marking it as a total loss.
Significant Incidents
- Wrecked in 1872 but recovered and repaired.
- Last enrollment surrendered on April 2, 1880, marked as total loss.
Final Disposition
The Liberty was broken in two on the south point of the Milwaukee County shoreline and became completely encased in ice, preventing salvage attempts. It was likely destroyed by storms and ice movement during the winter of 1879-80, with no extant wreckage documented in modern surveys.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck site is shallow and nearshore, likely buried in sand and ice, making it not suitable for recreational diving.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”liberty-14672″ title=”References & Links”]
The Liberty serves as a historical example of mid-19th century small Great Lakes schooners and highlights the risks associated with winter navigation and ice accumulation.
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.
Wooden Two-Masted Schooner (Built 1861, Lost 1879)
Identification & Construction
- Vessel Name: Liberty
- Registry Number: 14672
- Vessel Type: Schooner (two‑masted)
- Built: 1861, Cottrellville, Michigan
- Builder: L. Larned (also the original owner)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Propulsion: Sail
- Rig: 2‑masted schooner
- Dimensions & Tonnage:
- Gross Tonnage: 81.44 tons
- Cargo at Loss: 9 tons of hay and 90 bags of feed
- Home Port: Chicago, Illinois
- Owners:
- Original: L. Larned, Cottrellville, MI
- Later Master: Captain Michael Doyle
Service History
- 1861: Constructed for Great Lakes commercial trade, primarily in light bulk cargoes such as hay, feed, and lumber.
- 1872: Wrecked but successfully recovered and repaired.
- 1874: Board of Lake Underwriters valued at $3,000; rated B1 for insurance purposes.
- Operations: Primarily Lake Michigan coastwise trade serving Chicago, Milwaukee, and small Wisconsin ports like Ahnapee (Algoma) and Whitefish Bay.
- Crew Size: Not precisely recorded; typical 2‑4 men for a vessel of this tonnage.
- Last Enrollment Surrendered: April 2, 1880 (Milwaukee), marked “Total Loss.”
Final Voyage & Loss
- Date of Loss: December 15–16, 1879
- Route: Departed Milwaukee for Whitefish Bay below Ahnapee (Algoma, WI) to load cedar posts.
- Cargo Aboard: 9 tons of hay and 90 bags of feed.
- Cause of Loss:
- Struck by a snowstorm and gale while attempting to locate its destination.
- Vessel became heavily iced, rendering sails and rigging unmanageable.
- Driven ashore on the extreme south point near Oak Creek, Milwaukee County.
Contemporary Account (Milwaukee Sentinel, Dec. 18, 1879):
“The Liberty left Milwaukee for Whitefish Bay, below Ahnapee, to load cedar posts. When the snow storm of Monday set in the craft was abreast of its destination, but could not find the place and was forced to run before the gale. The vessel became so badly iced as to be wholly unmanageable previous to stranding. The tug F.C. Maxon, having in tow the surf boat of the life‑saving station, proceeded to the Liberty shortly after noon and returned at 4 o’clock. The vessel was found to be ashore on the extreme end of the south point, broken in two and completely covered and surrounded with ice, so that it was impossible to approach within fifty feet of her.”
- Nearest City: Oak Creek, Wisconsin
- Coordinates: N 42° 54.122′ / W 087° 50.544′
- Water Depth at Site: Shallow nearshore (not a dive site; likely buried in sand and ice)
- Lives Lost: None
Wreck Disposition
- Immediate Fate:
- Broken in two on the south point of the Milwaukee County shoreline.
- Completely encased in ice, preventing salvage attempts.
- Long-Term Fate:
- Abandoned and likely destroyed by storms and ice movement during the winter of 1879‑80.
- No extant wreckage documented in modern surveys.
Historical Significance
The Liberty is representative of mid‑19th century, small Great Lakes schooners used for:
- Mixed bulk cargoes like hay, feed, cedar posts, and lumber.
- Short‑haul routes between Chicago, Milwaukee, and northern Lake Michigan towns.
- Ice and winter operations, a recurring hazard for light wooden vessels.
The wreck demonstrates:
- The risk of ice accumulation (“icing”), a frequent cause of winter stranding losses.
- The vulnerability of small schooners with low tonnage to storm surges and ice loads.
- A period when Great Lakes life-saving crews attempted rescues with small surfboats and tug assistance, often in extreme conditions.
Keywords & Categories
- Region: Lake Michigan – Milwaukee County (Oak Creek)
- Vessel Type: Wooden schooner
- Cause of Loss: Iced over, stranded in snowstorm
- Cargo: Hay and feed
- Dive Difficulty: Not a recreational site; nearshore debris only
- Historical Themes:
- Great Lakes winter navigation hazards
- Ice accumulation (“icing”) incidents
- Small schooner trade to northern Wisconsin