Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Peter Doling
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1848
- Builder: Girard
- Dimensions: 78.6 ft (23.96 m); Beam: 14.6 ft (4.45 m); Depth of hold: 5.67–6 ft (~1.7–1.83 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~60.6 GT
- Location: Near Racine lighthouse, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Exact GPS coordinates undocumented (site uncertain/unconfirmed)
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Original Owners: Vere Stenton, Detroit, Michigan
- Number of Masts: Two-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Two-masted wooden schooner of ~60 GT, designed for coastal freighting of perishable goods (fruit, lumber) on Lake Michigan.
Description
- Hull built of wooden planks on timber frames. Light frame suggests coastal cargo routes.
- Carrying mixed cargo: lumber and fruit—likely packed in barrels/crates.
- No official registry number recorded; indicative of small mercantile schooners of mid-19th century.
History
- Early owner: Vere Stenton, Detroit, Michigan; home port likely Chicago, IL.
- Often reported as “P. Dolan” in newspapers of the time, perhaps a misprint or alternative name usage.
- Routine lumber/fruit trading to Milwaukee suggests modest commercial activity with no high-profile incidents before final voyage.
- Crew and captain names are not recorded in known accounts; no loss of life reported (0 lives lost).
Significant Incidents
- The schooner began taking on water and was waterlogged for ~48 hours, then drifted ashore near Racine lighthouse.
- According to the Milwaukee Sentinel (16 Sept 1857), the vessel “went ashore … got off yesterday morning, and is now lying in the harbor, sunk.” She was not reported broken up or dismantled—all crew presumed safe; cargo presumably spoiled or salvaged.
- No insurance, inquiry, salvage, or insurance board records appear in available summaries—lack of registry number suggests limited official documentation.
Final Disposition
- There is no confirmed wreck site location: the Wisconsin Shipwrecks database notes “map image unconfirmed location,” implying the physical remains have not been definitively located by sonar or diver investigation.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- No Notices to Mariners or marine charts identify the wreck site historically or in modern times. Status: none noted.
- Possibly considered a minor hazard immediately after stranding; no lasting hazard issuance recorded.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”peter-doling-1848″ title=”References & Links”]
The schooner Peter Doling provides a typical example of small mid-19th-century freight work done by wooden schooners in the Great Lakes. Laden with lumber and fruit, her waterlogging and grounding without loss of life reflect the perils of early sailing commerce. Without formal registry or insurance, the vessel remained obscure save for newspaper mention. No physical wreck has been confirmed. For maritime archaeology, her remains—if ever located—would offer insight into small coastal schooner construction and low-value trade routes, though little wreck structure may remain given shallow water, salvage, and decomposition.
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.
(built 1848, no official registry number known)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Built in 1848 at Conneautville, Pennsylvania by a builder named Girard; dimensions: 78.6 ft (23.96 m) length, 14.6 ft (4.45 m) beam, 5.67‑6 ft (~1.7‑1.83 m) hold depth; gross tonnage ~60.6 GT (baillod.com).
- Wooden‐hulled, two‑masted schooner rigged fore‑and‑aft; propelled under sail.
- Lost on 11 September 1857, coming ashore south of Racine lighthouse on Lake Michigan after ~48 hours waterlogged; cargo included lumber and fruit bound for Milwaukee; at loss, the vessel was afloat in the harbor but sunken (Wikipedia, wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
- Location aligns with Racine County, Lake Michigan, near Milwaukee–Racine stretch; exact GPS coordinates undocumented (site uncertain/unconfirmed) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, baillod.com).
Vessel Type
- Two‑masted wooden schooner of ~60 GT, designed for coastal freighting of perishable goods (fruit, lumber) on Lake Michigan.
Description
- Hull built of wooden planks on timber frames. Light frame suggests coastal cargo routes.
- Carrying mixed cargo: lumber and fruit—likely packed in barrels/crates.
- No official registry number recorded; indicative of small mercantile schooners of mid‐19th century.
History
- Early owner: Vere Stenton, Detroit, Michigan; home port likely Chicago, IL.
- Often reported as “P. Dolan” in newspapers of the time, perhaps a misprint or alternative name usage (wzzm13.com, wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
- Routine lumber/fruit trading to Milwaukee suggests modest commercial activity with no high‐profile incidents before final voyage.
- Crew and captain names are not recorded in known accounts; no loss of life reported (0 lives lost).
Final Disposition
- The schooner began taking on water and was waterlogged for ~48 hours, then drifted ashore near Racine lighthouse.
- According to the Milwaukee Sentinel (16 Sept 1857), the vessel “went ashore … got off yesterday morning, and is now lying in the harbor, sunk.” She was not reported broken up or dismantled—all crew presumed safe; cargo presumably spoiled or salvaged (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
- No insurance, inquiry, salvage, or insurance board records appear in available summaries—lack of registry number suggests limited official documentation.
Located By & Date Found
- There is no confirmed wreck site location: the Wisconsin Shipwrecks database notes “map image unconfirmed location,” implying the physical remains have not been definitively located by sonar or diver investigation (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
Notmars & Advisories
- No Notices to Mariners or marine charts identify the wreck site historically or in modern times. Status: none noted.
- Possibly considered a minor hazard immediately after stranding; no lasting hazard issuance recorded.
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks database: entry for Peter Doling (1848) with summary of vessel and incident (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
- Milwaukee Sentinel, 16 September 1857 issue (quoting waterlogging and grounding event) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org).
- Baillod/Wisconsin Underwater Archaeology Association site (“Fathoms Deep But Not Forgotten”) notes build details and incident summary (baillod.com).
Shore Dive Information (not applicable)
- Since no confirmed wreck location has been established, no diving coordinates, permissions, or conditions are available.
Conclusion
The schooner Peter Doling provides a typical example of small mid‑19th‑century freight work done by wooden schooners in the Great Lakes. Laden with lumber and fruit, her waterlogging and grounding without loss of life reflect the perils of early sailing commerce. Without formal registry or insurance, the vessel remained obscure save for newspaper mention. No physical wreck has been confirmed. For maritime archaeology, her remains—if ever located—would offer insight into small coastal schooner construction and low‐value trade routes, though little wreck structure may remain given shallow water, salvage, and decomposition.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary
Region: Lake Michigan–Racine/Milwaukee | Vessel type: Two‑masted lumber/fruit schooner | Cause of loss: waterlogged → grounding → sinking (sunken in harbor) | Material: wood | Period: 1848 –1857 | Dive difficulty: unknown | Hazards: unknown debris in harbor.
Recommended Research Next Steps
- Historical newspapers: Examine Milwaukee Sentinel, Racine Journal, Chicago Press & Tribune—September 1857 issues—for crew names, captain identity, local response, fruit type, salvage actions.
- Detroit & Chicago enrollment records: Search for Vere Stenton and any enrollment logs or manifests for schooner names or owners.
- Board of Lake Underwriters & customs registry rolls (mid‑1850s): look for unregistered vessels, pilots’ papers, valuation notes.
- Local archives: Racine Historical Society or Milwaukee Public Library marine collections may hold USLSS correspondence or harbor reports.
- Sonar or archaeological survey: Consider shallow-lake magnetometer/side-scan to seek remnants near reported grounding zone south of Racine lighthouse.