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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Mahoning
• Official number: Not documented
• Built: 13 April 1847 at Black River, Ohio by William Jones
• Type: Wooden-hulled two-masted brigantine, single deck
• Dimensions: 119 ft 1 in × 24 ft 6 in × 9 ft 8 in (36.3 m × 7.5 m × 3.0 m)
• Tonnage: ~259 tons (old-style)
• Date lost: Two related dates – stranded 4 November 1864; final sinking 2 December 1864
• Location: Initially grounded near Black River mouth (Sheboygan), then sank off Port Washington, Lake Michigan
• Cargo: Lumber
• Crew/Casualties: Two persons lost when foundering under tow; full crew count unclear
• Final Depth: ~55 ft (17 m) of water, ~3 miles south of Port Washington

History & Chronology

• 1847: Enrolled in Cleveland, initially engaged in Lake Erie grain trade.
• 1848–1862: Recorded incidents including groundings (Oswego 1848, Grand River Canada 1851) and sail damage (Lake Erie 1854). Re-registered in Buffalo (1852) and Milwaukee (1857) as ownership shifted.
• 1864: Owned by Bigelow & Brothers, Milwaukee. On 4 November, during a gale, Mahoning stranded near Black River, ~4 miles south of Sheboygan; declared total loss in press but later salvaged.
• 2 December: Under tow to Milwaukee for repairs, the vessel capsized and foundered off Port Washington; two lives lost during this final phase (Wisconsin Shipwrecks, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Shipwreck Explorers, Facebook).

Vessel Type & Description

A mid-19th century brigantine: two-masted with a square-rigged foremast and fore-and-aft sails on the mainmast. Built with robust wooden construction to carry heavy cargoes such as lumber on Lake Michigan.

Final Disposition

• First Incident (4 Nov): Stranded ashore and dismantled by waves; crew survived.
• Second Incident (2 Dec): While being towed for salvage, the vessel foundered and capsized in ~55 ft of water. Two individuals perished .

Located By & Date Found

• Wreckage lies submerged in roughly 55 ft (17 m) of water, approximately 3 miles south of Port Washington.
• The site is documented and can be dived, with reports noting the wreck is upright, broken at bilge turn, and visible in dive records (Facebook, Wikipedia).

Notmar & Advisories

No official Notices to Mariners specifically identify this wreck. However, this area is nationally recognized: the wreck of Mahoning lies within Wisconsin’s Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary (Wikipedia)—navigator vigilance is advised.

Resources & Links

• Wisconsin Shipwrecks – Mahoning detailed history and dive info (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Shipwreck Explorers – Notes on Briggs sinking under tow (Shipwreck Explorers)
• DiveAAI – Wreck location, condition, and shallow-depth details
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – Entry summarizing 119 ft × 26 ft × 19 ft specs and 13 Nov loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Wisconsin Sanctuary List – Confirms wreck inclusion off Port Washington (Wikipedia)

Conclusion

The Mahoning underwent a rare two-stage loss in the autumn of 1864: first grounding during a gale, followed by capsizing and sinking under tow. The wreck now rests upright at a depth accessible to technical divers, marking a significant historical wreck within the nationally protected Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast area. The loss of two lives during the tow highlights the risks of late-season salvage operations in Lake Michigan.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

• Keywords: Mahoning, brigantine, dual-incident wreck, Lake Michigan dive
• Categories: Wooden brigantine wrecks, 19th-century shipwrecks, Wisconsin dive sites
• Glossary:
  • Brigantine: Two-masted sailing vessel with square rigging on the foremast.
  • Bilge turn: The point at which a vessel’s hull transitions from flat bottom to sides.
  • Sanctuary: A protected marine area designated for historical and environmental conservation.

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