Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

N.C. Ford US 18087

Explore the remains of the N.C. Ford, a wooden schooner lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, representing a significant chapter in Great Lakes maritime history.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: FORD, N.C.
  • Type: Schooner
  • Year Built: 1861
  • Builder: G.W. Miller
  • Dimensions: Not fully recorded; estimated based on tonnage
  • Registered Tonnage: 226 tons (Old Measurement)
  • Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Official Number: 18087 (U.S.)
  • Original Owners: L. Ryerse, Leonard et al.
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A two-masted wooden schooner, typical of the Canadian-built freight carriers of the mid-19th century, designed primarily for coastal and Great Lakes lumber transport.

Description

  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Length/Beam/Depth: Not fully recorded, but estimated based on tonnage
  • Tonnage: 226 tons (Old Measurement)
  • Construction: Built by G.W. Miller at Port Ryerse, ONT. Characteristic of small shipyard schooners, optimized for general cargo including lumber.

History

  • 1861: Constructed and launched by G.W. Miller in Port Ryerse, Ontario.
  • 1862: Underwent significant refastening, indicating early service stresses or structural upgrades.
  • 1864: Owned by L. Ryerse of Port Ryerse, ONT.
  • 1867: Sold to Leonard et al., Goderich, Ontario.
  • 1868: Re-enrolled in Buffalo, New York; tonnage recorded as 159.84 gross tons under U.S. registry.
  • 1869, June: Grounded near Muskegon, Michigan with a load of lumber; successfully pulled free by the tug BREARLY.
  • 1871, October: At the time of the Great Chicago Fire, the FORD, N.C. was docked in the city and burned along with numerous other vessels during the firestorm that engulfed the central port district. Declared a total loss.

Significant Incidents

  • Grounded near Muskegon, Michigan in June 1869 with a load of lumber; successfully pulled free by the tug BREARLY.
  • Burned to total loss at dock in Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire (8–10 October 1871).

Final Disposition

Burned to total loss at dock in Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire (8–10 October 1871). No recovery of the hull is recorded; the fire obliterated many waterfront schooners beyond salvage.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No evidence indicates the hull was later discovered or documented post-destruction.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”n-c-ford-us-18087″ title=”References & Links”]

The FORD, N.C. represents a class of small, versatile wooden schooners integral to Great Lakes commerce during the mid-19th century. Built in a Canadian lakeside yard and ending in one of the most destructive urban fires in North American history, her story is emblematic of the volatile interplay between maritime trade and industrializing cities.

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): FORD, N.C.
  • Official Number: 18087 (U.S.)
  • Year Built: 1861
  • Built at: Port Ryerse, Ontario
  • Date Lost: October 1871
  • Final Location: Chicago, Illinois
  • Cause of Loss: Destroyed by fire during the Great Chicago Fire

Vessel Type

A two-masted wooden schooner, typical of the Canadian-built freight carriers of the mid-19th century, designed primarily for coastal and Great Lakes lumber transport.

Description

  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Length/Beam/Depth: Not fully recorded, but estimated based on tonnage
  • Tonnage: 226 tons (Old Measurement)
  • Construction: Built by G.W. Miller at Port Ryerse, ONT. Characteristic of small shipyard schooners, optimized for general cargo including lumber.

History

  • 1861: Constructed and launched by G.W. Miller in Port Ryerse, Ontario.
  • 1862: Underwent significant refastening, indicating early service stresses or structural upgrades.
  • 1864: Owned by L. Ryerse of Port Ryerse, ONT.
  • 1867: Sold to Leonard et al., Goderich, Ontario.
  • 1868: Re-enrolled in Buffalo, New York; tonnage recorded as 159.84 gross tons under U.S. registry.
  • 1869, June: Grounded near Muskegon, Michigan with a load of lumber; successfully pulled free by the tug BREARLY.
  • 1871, October: At the time of the Great Chicago Fire, the FORD, N.C. was docked in the city and burned along with numerous other vessels during the firestorm that engulfed the central port district. Declared a total loss.

Final Disposition

Burned to total loss at dock in Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire (8–10 October 1871). No recovery of the hull is recorded; the fire obliterated many waterfront schooners beyond salvage.

Located By & Date Found

No evidence indicates the hull was later discovered or documented post-destruction.

Notmars & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The FORD, N.C. represents a class of small, versatile wooden schooners integral to Great Lakes commerce during the mid-19th century. Built in a Canadian lakeside yard and ending in one of the most destructive urban fires in North American history, her story is emblematic of the volatile interplay between maritime trade and industrializing cities.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Tags: schooner, wooden hull, Canadian-built, fire loss, Great Chicago Fire, lumber trade, Lake Michigan
Glossary:

  • Refastened: Strengthening of a vessel’s planking and structural fasteners
  • Great Chicago Fire: Catastrophic fire that burned much of Chicago from October 8–10, 1871
  • Schooner: Sailing vessel with two or more masts, fore-and-aft rigged, common in 19th-century Great Lakes trade

Let me know if you’d like a GIS-mapped visual of her last location or fire damage overlays from the 1871 Chicago Fire.

n-c-ford-us-18087 1871-10-12 23:38:00