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.
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): Resolution
- Year Built: 1855
- Built at: Buffalo, New York
- Final Location: Penetang Gore near Inverhuron, Ontario, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron
- Date Lost: November 1857
- Final Cargo: Wheat (approx. 15,000 bushels)
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.
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.
Located By & Date Found
No confirmed discovery or archaeological survey of the Resolution‘s remains has been reported to date.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Ships Database
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
Conclusion
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.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Schooner
- Grain trade
- Georgian Bay
- Lake Huron
- 19th-century shipwreck
- Lake Navigation Company
- Foundered
- Great Lakes maritime history
- All hands lost