Resolution (1855)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Resolution
• Type: Schooner
• Year Built: 1855
• Builder: Buffalo, New York
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: 289 tons
• Location: Penetang Gore near Inverhuron, Ontario
• Coordinates: N/A
• Official Number: N/A
• Original Owners: Lake Navigation Company
• Number of Masts: N/A

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Resolution was a wooden-hulled, single-deck schooner, designed for the grain trade across the Great Lakes. Schooners of this type were optimized for bulk cargoes and were common workhorses of the regional economy.

Description

Built for the Lake Navigation Company of Buffalo, the Resolution had an old style tonnage of 289 tons and a reported capacity of approximately 15,000 bushels of grain. This aligns with mid-19th-century schooner standards in terms of scale and cargo volume, reflecting a vessel engaged in high-volume, long-distance commodity transport.

History

• 1855: Constructed at Buffalo, New York, to serve in the burgeoning grain trade from the western Great Lakes to eastern ports.
• 1857, May: The schooner was involved in a collision with the steamer Illinois in the St. Clair River. This incident suggests the Resolution was operating in heavily trafficked routes and highlights the risk of navigation in confined waterways.
• 1857, November: Foundered in Georgian Bay near Penetang Gore while en route from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Buffalo, New York, with a cargo of wheat. All hands were lost in the disaster. No details survive about the specific weather conditions, but given the timing in late November, it likely involved a seasonal gale.

Significant Incidents

• Collision with the steamer Illinois in May 1857.
• Foundering in November 1857 with total loss of crew and cargo.

Final Disposition

The Resolution sank with the total loss of crew and cargo. The site of her sinking, off Penetang Gore near Inverhuron, Ontario, places the wreck in a historically significant area of Georgian Bay, known for treacherous weather and shoreline hazards.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No confirmed discovery or archaeological survey of the Resolution‘s remains has been reported to date.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”resolution-1855″ title=”References & Links”]

The Resolution represents a tragic but not uncommon loss in the annals of Great Lakes commerce. Foundering with all hands while carrying a full grain cargo underscores the peril faced by 19th-century mariners, especially in the late shipping season. Her fate contributes to the historical understanding of lake navigation, weather vulnerability, and the grain trade’s risks during the pre-steamship era.