M.S. Scott (1856)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: M.S. Scott
• Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1856
• Builder: William Jones
• Dimensions: Length 135.1 ft (41.2 m); Beam 25.6 ft (7.8 m); Depth of hold 10.7 ft (3.3 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 287.8 tons
• Depth at Wreck Site: 5.5 m / 18 ft
• Location: Racine, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: Approximately at 42° 42.956′ N, 87° 46.307′ W
• Official Number: (Not recorded)
• Original Owners: W.W. Spencer, Racine
• Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Configuration: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Use: Grain trading between Chicago, Buffalo, and transit via St. Lawrence route to Europe (West Indies trade post–1859)

Description

• Standard canal-size schooner built for bulk grain carriage; solid oak and pine construction
• Repaired in 1862 to extend service life

History

• Built as a coaster and grain carrier with occasional overseas voyages via St. Lawrence and Newfoundland post–1859
• Repaired extensively in 1862 to maintain structural integrity under heavy trade use
• Enrollment officially surrendered in Milwaukee on April 13, 1866, citing the vessel as lost

Significant Incidents

• In September 1866, M.S. Scott went ashore at Racine and sank while loaded with wheat
• Local salvage tug Leviathan mounted recovery efforts, which were eventually abandoned; underwriters made further plans to refloat the vessel, but she broke up completely by December 30, 1866

Final Disposition

• In September 1866, M.S. Scott went ashore at Racine and sank while loaded with wheat
• Local salvage tug Leviathan mounted recovery efforts, which were eventually abandoned; underwriters made further plans to refloat the vessel, but she broke up completely by December 30, 1866

Current Condition & Accessibility

• No confirmed location or dive documentation exists in public archives
• Possible remains may persist, but the vessel reportedly disintegrated before salvage; no archaeological survey documented to date

Resources & Links

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The M.S. Scott serves as an illustrative case of mid–19th-century grain schooner trade, illustrating local salvage practices and insurance underwriting in the face of nearshore losses. Though no crew were lost, the event underscores challenges to recovery operations in that era. Given her relatively intact sinking depth and shallow location, remnants may still lie undiscovered beneath harbor sediment—worth further archaeological reconnaissance.