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: Philena Mills
• Year Built: 1846
• Builder: James Lockwood, Madison Dock (Geneva), Ohio
• Original Owner: James Mills, Unionville, Ohio
• Vessel Type: Wooden schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Number of Masts: 2
• Dimensions:
  • Length: 32.7 m (107 ft 2 in)
  • Beam: 7.7 m (25 ft 1.5 in)
  • Depth: 2.8 m (9 ft 4 in)
• Tonnage (old style): 227 29/95 tons
• Final Location: Near Perry, Lake County, Ohio, Lake Erie
• Date Lost: 20 June 1866
• Final Cargo: Lumber

Vessel Type

Philena Mills was a two-masted wooden schooner designed for the grain and lumber trades, a common merchant rig on the lakes in the mid-19th century.

Description

The schooner had a simple, strong wooden hull suited for carrying bulk cargoes across Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan. Rigged with two masts and a traditional square stern, she was built for durability rather than speed, enabling her to haul grain, staves, lumber, and other commodities.

History

• 1846: Enrolled at Cleveland, Ohio, after construction.
• August 26, 1847: Lost her foremast; towed by steamer Cleveland to Conneaut, Ohio, with a cargo of staves.
• November 17, 1847: Ashore at 40 Mile Point, Lake Huron, carrying 8,000 bushels of wheat.
• December 8, 1847: Released and returned to Cleveland.
• 1848: Operated in the Chicago–Oswego grain trade.
• September 30, 1848: Ashore with wheat below North Pier, Buffalo, New York.
• 1854: Operated in the Chicago district.
• September 1855: Collided with the propeller Pocahontas on the Detroit River; subsequently repaired.
• May 1856: Another collision, repaired.
• 1860: Owned by Thomas Clark, Buffalo, New York, then L. Kilderhouse later that year.
• September 24, 1860: Ashore near the cut at Long Point; later released.
• 1861: Rebuilt by Jones & Hardison, Buffalo, New York.
• August 30, 1861: Owned by R. Dill.
• May 2, 1862: Owned by J. Dill.
• February 17, 1863: Owned by James Davidson, Buffalo, New York.
• 1865: Measured at 149.49 tons after adjustments.
• May 1866: Sank in the Saginaw River, Lake Huron, with salt and lumber; raised afterward.
• June 20, 1866: Driven ashore in a severe storm near Perry, Lake Erie, carrying lumber; broke up and wrecked, with three of five lives lost.

Final Disposition

Wrecked near Perry, Ohio, on Lake Erie in June 1866, total loss with tragic loss of three lives.

Located By & Date Found

No modern documentation of the wreck site; likely scattered and buried near shore in Lake Erie.

Notmars & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Vessels Online Index — Bowling Green State University
• Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
• Newspaper archives, mid-1860s wreck coverage

Conclusion

The Philena Mills is a classic example of the mid-19th century schooner fleet, built for grain and lumber trades and working the Great Lakes for two decades. Despite repeated groundings and damage, she remained in service until finally destroyed by a storm in 1866. Her story highlights the high-risk nature of lake transport in the schooner era, especially on shallow Lake Erie’s unpredictable waters.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

wooden schooner • grain trade • lumber cargo • Lake Erie • 19th-century shipwreck • Perry, Ohio • two-masted schooner • Great Lakes

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