Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Mary Booth
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1857
- Builder: Bidwell & Banta, Buffalo, NY
- Dimensions: Length 100 ft (30.5 m); Beam 24.7 ft (7.5 m); Depth of hold 6.8 ft (2.1 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 141 tons (old measurement); 124 gross tons (1865)
- Location: Off Milwaukee, near Port Washington, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 16392
- Original Owners: John Booth, James Prouty, Curtis of Buffalo, George Bautsch
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Two-masted wooden schooner, later converted to a lumber barge by 1869. Originally used in general freight and lumber transport on the Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Rig: Schooner (2 masts)
- Dimensions:
- Length: 30.5 m (100 ft)
- Beam: 7.5 m (24.7 ft)
- Depth: 2.1 m (6.8 ft)
- Tonnage:
- 141 tons (old measurement); remeasured at 124 gross tons in 1865
- Notably described as having a scow bottom by 1860, typical for shallow-draft lumber vessels.
History
- 1857: Constructed by Bidwell & Banta, Buffalo, NY for John Booth.
- 1858: Involved in a collision with S.G. ANDREWS in Buffalo Harbor.
- 1860: Owned by James Prouty; involved in a collision off Pointe aux Pelee, Lake Erie.
- 1863: Underwent large repairs.
- 1865: Remeasured at 124 gross tons.
- 1867: Stranded on piers at Chicago while carrying lumber.
- 1869: Collided with schooner LAVINIA, converted afterward to a lumber barge.
- 1871: Owned by Curtis of Buffalo.
- 1872: Stranded at Pilot Island, Lake Michigan.
- 1873: Owned by George Bautsch, Chicago; repaired.
- 1875: Recaulked and overhauled at Wolff & Davison Shipyard in Milwaukee, WI.
- 1877: Enrolled at Chicago on 15 August; waterlogged and sank in a gale on 4 November.
Significant Incidents
- Collision with S.G. ANDREWS in Buffalo Harbor (1858).
- Collision off Pointe aux Pelee, Lake Erie (1860).
- Stranded on piers at Chicago (1867).
- Stranded at Pilot Island, Lake Michigan (1872).
Final Disposition
Sank in a heavy gale off Port Washington, WI, on Lake Michigan, while transporting maple lumber. The vessel became waterlogged before foundering. No fatalities reported.
Current Condition & Accessibility
As of current records, Mary Booth has not been conclusively located. The general area of the wreck near Port Washington is known but no archaeological or sonar confirmation has been publicly disclosed.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”mary-booth-us-16392″ title=”References & Links”]
The Mary Booth exemplifies the workhorse schooners of the mid-19th century Great Lakes fleet, transitioning to barge service in later years. Her long operational life, repeated repairs, and final loss during a routine lumber run reflect the risks of wooden vessel service during the volatile shipping seasons of Lake Michigan.
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(s): Mary Booth
- Official Number: 16392
- Year Built: 1857
- Built At: Buffalo, New York
- Final Location: Off Milwaukee, near Port Washington, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 4 November 1877
- Cause: Waterlogged in gale and sank
- Final Cargo: Maple lumber
Vessel Type
Two-masted wooden schooner, later converted to a lumber barge by 1869. Originally used in general freight and lumber transport on the Great Lakes.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 1
- Rig: Schooner (2 masts)
- Dimensions:
- Length: 30.5 m (100 ft)
- Beam: 7.5 m (24.7 ft)
- Depth: 2.1 m (6.8 ft)
- Tonnage:
- 141 tons (old measurement); remeasured at 124 gross tons in 1865
- Notably described as having a scow bottom by 1860, typical for shallow-draft lumber vessels.
History
- 1857: Constructed by Bidwell & Banta, Buffalo, NY for John Booth.
- 1858: Involved in a collision with S.G. ANDREWS in Buffalo Harbor.
- 1860: Owned by James Prouty; involved in a collision off Pointe aux Pelee, Lake Erie.
- 1863: Underwent large repairs.
- 1865: Remeasured at 124 gross tons.
- 1867: Stranded on piers at Chicago while carrying lumber.
- 1869: Collided with schooner LAVINIA, converted afterward to a lumber barge.
- 1871: Owned by Curtis of Buffalo.
- 1872: Stranded at Pilot Island, Lake Michigan.
- 1873: Owned by George Bautsch, Chicago; repaired.
- 1875: Recaulked and overhauled at Wolff & Davison Shipyard in Milwaukee, WI.
- 1877: Enrolled at Chicago on 15 August; waterlogged and sank in a gale on 4 November.
Final Disposition
Sank in a heavy gale off Port Washington, WI, on Lake Michigan, while transporting maple lumber. The vessel became waterlogged before foundering. No fatalities reported.
Located By & Date Found
As of current records, Mary Booth has not been conclusively located. The general area of the wreck near Port Washington is known but no archaeological or sonar confirmation has been publicly disclosed.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Great Lakes Ships Database – Bowling Green State University
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Erik Heyl, Early American Steamers
- Brendon Baillod Collection
- Newspaper archives and government enrollment records
Conclusion
The Mary Booth exemplifies the workhorse schooners of the mid-19th century Great Lakes fleet, transitioning to barge service in later years. Her long operational life, repeated repairs, and final loss during a routine lumber run reflect the risks of wooden vessel service during the volatile shipping seasons of Lake Michigan.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- schooner, wooden barge, Lake Michigan, gale loss, 19th-century shipwreck, cargo vessel, Buffalo-built, scow-bottom, lumber trade, Port Washington, unlocated wreck.