Liberty (1835)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Liberty
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1835
• Builder: Avon Point, Ohio
• Dimensions: Length 56 ft 6 in (17.2 m); Beam 17 ft 5 in (5.3 m); Depth of hold 5 ft 8 in (1.7 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 45 76/95
• Location: Milwaukee harbour, Wisconsin
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Two-masted wooden schooner built for general cargo service across the Great Lakes.

Description

• Hull Material: Wood
• Decks: 1
• Masts: 2
• Length: 17.2 m (56 ft 6 in)
• Beam: 5.3 m (17 ft 5 in)
• Depth: 1.7 m (5 ft 8 in)
• Tonnage (Old Style): 45 76/95

She was modest in size, typical of early to mid-19th century lake schooners used for cargo such as lumber, grain, and general goods.

History

• 1835, Jul 17: First enrollment at Cleveland, Ohio under Jesse S. Cahoon.
• 1836: Sold to Dan C. Van Tine.
• 1837: Ownership passed to Thomas B. Clark, Detroit, MI.
• 1841, Feb 9: Driven ashore near Oak Creek, WI during a storm.
• 1842-1845: Transferred ownership multiple times in Milwaukee.
• 1843, Oct 20: Again driven ashore during a gale at Sheboygan, WI.
• 1864: Underwent significant repairs.
• 1866-1868: Documented changes in gross tonnage, reflecting potential rebuilds or remeasurements.
• 1869, Apr: Involved in a collision with the schooner El Tempo at Manitowoc, WI.
• 1870: Underwent a rebuild.
• 1872, Apr 14: Entered Milwaukee harbour during a gale and struck cribwork, resulting in a total wreck and one crew fatality. Final cargo was wood, indicating a return to lumber trade.

Significant Incidents

• Struck cribwork during a gale while entering Milwaukee harbour, resulting in total loss and one fatality.

Final Disposition

Total loss after wrecking at Milwaukee harbour in a storm. Struck structural cribwork at the harbour entrance. One person perished.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No known official rediscovery or documentation of the wreck site.

Resources & Links

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Liberty (1835) was a small, durable schooner active during a formative period in Great Lakes shipping. Her nearly 40-year career reflects the resilience and continual repurposing of early wooden lake vessels. Though ultimately lost in Milwaukee, she serves as a representative example of regional maritime operations before the rise of steel hulls and large steam-powered freighters.