Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: MOLLIE
- Type: Scow Schooner
- Year Built: 1867
- Builder: Cook, Huron, Ohio
- Dimensions: Length 83 ft (25.3 m); Beam 20 ft (6.1 m); Depth of hold 6 ft (1.8 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 83 tons
- Location: Approximately 25 miles from Ludington, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Not precisely recorded
- Official Number: 50606
- Original Owners: Chapman, Hale, Davis, S.D. Pace, Williams
- Number of Masts: Not specified
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The MOLLIE was a classic scow schooner, a workhorse of the Great Lakes cargo trade. These vessels were characterized by their shallow draft and broad, flat-bottomed hulls, which enabled them to access shallow harbours and river mouths while carrying bulk cargoes such as lumber and stone.
Description
Launched in 1867 for owner Chapman, the MOLLIE served in the lumber trade, a common role for scow schooners of her type. She changed hands numerous times, reflecting the brisk market for working cargo vessels in the late 19th century:
- 1874: Owned by Hale, Fairport, Ohio, and rebuilt (83 × 20 × 6 feet; 79 net tons)
- 1879: Owned by Davis, Fairport, Ohio
- 1881, May 9: Raised after having sunk at Sarnia, Ontario
- 1881, May 20: Owned by S.D. Pace, Port Huron, Michigan
- 1890: Owned by Williams, Racine, Wisconsin
History
On 22 November 1890, while loaded with lumber, the MOLLIE foundered in Lake Michigan about 25 miles off Ludington, a frequent passage for lumber traffic moving south. There is no record of lives lost in the foundering.
Significant Incidents
The MOLLIE foundered in deep water, and no salvage or wreck location has been confirmed.
Final Disposition
No current Notices to Mariners apply to the wreck of the MOLLIE, though caution is always advised near historic shipping lanes.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown, presumed unrecovered and unrecorded on modern charts.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”mollie-1867″ title=”References & Links”]
The MOLLIE’s loss is typical of the scow schooner era, where these functional vessels operated on tight margins in harsh conditions. She serves as a reminder of the intense, hazardous lumber trade on Lake Michigan in the late 1800s.
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.
MOLLIE (1867, Scow Schooner)
Identification & Site Information
- Name: MOLLIE
- Official Number: 50606
- Year Built: 1867
- Type: Scow Schooner
- Builder: Cook, Huron, Ohio
- Hull Material: Wood
- Length: 83 feet (25.3 metres)
- Beam: 20 feet (6.1 metres)
- Depth: 6 feet (1.8 metres)
- Tonnage (old style): 83 tons
Final Disposition
- Final Location: Approximately 25 miles from Ludington, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 22 November 1890
- How Lost: Foundered while carrying lumber
- Coordinates: Not precisely recorded
Vessel Type Description
The MOLLIE was a classic scow schooner, a workhorse of the Great Lakes cargo trade. These vessels were characterized by their shallow draft and broad, flat-bottomed hulls, which enabled them to access shallow harbours and river mouths while carrying bulk cargoes such as lumber and stone.
History
Launched in 1867 for owner Chapman, the MOLLIE served in the lumber trade, a common role for scow schooners of her type. She changed hands numerous times, reflecting the brisk market for working cargo vessels in the late 19th century:
- 1874: Owned by Hale, Fairport, Ohio, and rebuilt (83 × 20 × 6 feet; 79 net tons)
- 1879: Owned by Davis, Fairport, Ohio
- 1881, May 9: Raised after having sunk at Sarnia, Ontario
- 1881, May 20: Owned by S.D. Pace, Port Huron, Michigan
- 1890: Owned by Williams, Racine, Wisconsin
On 22 November 1890, while loaded with lumber, the MOLLIE foundered in Lake Michigan about 25 miles off Ludington, a frequent passage for lumber traffic moving south. There is no record of lives lost in the foundering.
Final Disposition
The MOLLIE foundered in deep water, and no salvage or wreck location has been confirmed.
NOTMARs & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners apply to the wreck of the MOLLIE, though caution is always advised near historic shipping lanes.
Located By & Date
Not located as of current records.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown, presumed unrecovered and unrecorded on modern charts.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Great Lakes Vessels Database
- NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Conclusion
The MOLLIE’s loss is typical of the scow schooner era, where these functional vessels operated on tight margins in harsh conditions. She serves as a reminder of the intense, hazardous lumber trade on Lake Michigan in the late 1800s.
Keywords
MOLLIE, Scow Schooner, Lake Michigan Shipwreck, Lumber Trade, 19th Century Great Lakes, Foundered, Maritime History