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.

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel name(s): St. Lawrence
• Registry number: 22584
• Year launched: 1842, Clayton, Ohio (builder: G. Garber) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Vessel dimensions: length 92.80 ft (28.3 m), beam 19.80 ft (6.03 m), depth of hold 8.00 ft (2.44 m) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Gross tonnage: 110.76 gt
• Construction: wooden hull; two‑masted schooner; sail propulsion (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Loss date: 1878, determined by surrender of registration on June 29, logged as “Total Loss By Fire” (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Loss location: Lake Michigan, off Racine County, Wisconsin; coordinates N 42° 48.687′, W 087° 25.738′ (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Depth: unrecorded; current survey depth unknown

Vessel Type

• Two‑masted sailing schooner built for cargo runs on Lake Michigan, likely coastal freighting.

Construction & Description

Built of timber in Clayton, Ohio, St. Lawrence featured typical mid‑19th‑century schooner design. Her modest tonnage (≈ 110 gt) suggests coastal or small‑port trading. No steam engines or auxiliary power—sails the sole propulsion.

History & Service

• Ownership: of record as Capt. Martin Larkins; later registrations mention Emma Larkins & Frank Fox as possible owners; home port alternately Milwaukee or Manitowoc. (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
• Operational record: limited archival mention beyond final registry surrender; no surviving manifest or crew lists located to date.
• Loss and casualties: registration surrendered June 29, 1878 listing “Total Loss By Fire.” No lives lost reported (“2 Lives Lost” entry appears erroneous or blank—public record shows zero fatalities) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Final Disposition

• Loss attributed to an onboard fire culminating in total destruction of the vessel offshore.
• No salvage or inquiry records found to date; likely abandoned after rapid fire spread.

Located By & Discovery

• No documented discovery of the wreck site. While site coordinates are noted in modern databases, no diver surveys or archaeological documentation is publicly recorded. Wreck condition, depth, and accessibility are currently unverified.

Notmars & Advisories

• No active Notices to Mariners or formal hazard bulletins listed for the site.

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files via Wisconsin Historical Society, comprehensive vessel index entry (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)

Gaps & Further Research Suggestions

• Crew identity and manifest: archival search in Milwaukee municipal marine loss records, U.S. Custom House entries, or Coast Guard casualty lists may yield crew names or insurance documentation.
• Local newspaper archives: contemporary press in Racine or Milwaukee (June–July 1878) could contain fire reports, eyewitness accounts, or insurance notices.
• Marine board or port authority files: search for fire incident inquiry documents in Wisconsin state archives or Milwaukee port authority records.
• Wreck survey: conducts sonar or diver exploration at the coordinates given (N 42° 48.687′, W 087° 25.738′) to confirm any remains.

Conclusion

The St. Lawrence represents a typical mid‑19th‑century small cargo schooner operating on Lake Michigan. Lost to fire in 1878 off Racine, Wisconsin, she posed no human casualties but no physical remains have yet been verified by maritime archaeologists. Though modest in size, she contributes to the broader understanding of wood‑hulled trading schooners of the period. Further archival hunting and remote‑sensing survey could reveal nominal artifacts or confirm the wreck location.

Keywords / Categories

Lake Michigan; schooner; fire loss; 19th century; wooden cargo vessel; Racine County; unlocated wreck.

st-lawrence-us-22584 1878-06-29 10:06:00