St. Marys (1848)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: St. Marys
• Type: Wooden two-masted schooner carrying bulk cargo
• Year Built: 1848
• Builder:
• Dimensions:
• Registered Tonnage: 20 tons of pig iron
• Location: Off Wilmette (Winetka), near Chicago, Lake Michigan
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A mid-century wooden schooner used for carrying heavy cargo across the Great Lakes. With a typical schooner rig but robust hull, she was built to transport dense materials like pig iron from Lake Superior ports to eastern markets.

Description

The St. Marys was a wooden two-masted schooner designed for bulk cargo transport. She was primarily used to carry heavy materials, such as pig iron, across the Great Lakes, showcasing the maritime commerce of the 19th century.

History

On 7 September 1860, the St. Marys departed Chicago northbound to Cedar River, Green Bay, laden with 20 tons of pig iron. She set sail ahead of the notable steamship Lady Elgin, but later encountered the same sudden gale that led to Lady Elgin‘s tragic sinking. The schooner foundered that night in the same storm; all seven crew were lost. One of her small boats washed ashore at Lill’s Brewery, and one crewman, William Jameson, was among the recovered dead.

Significant Incidents

• Lost in a storm on 7 September 1860, during the same gale that sank the Lady Elgin.
• All seven crew members aboard were reported lost.

Final Disposition

St. Marys went down in deep water during the severe September storm. No hull remains have been located, likely due to depth and dispersal in open lake. She was valued at US $6,000 and uninsured at the time of loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck has never been recovered or archaeologically documented; presumed lying in deep water off the northern Chicago coast. Small fragments may wash ashore occasionally, but no dive surveys have been recorded.

Resources & Links

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The fate of the St. Marys reflects the frequent, often fatal impact of late-season gale events on 19th-century Great Lakes commerce. As a heavy-cargo schooner overtaken by the same storm that claimed the Lady Elgin, her sinking underscores the perilous nature of sail-powered bulk freight vessels in storm-prone open water. Though largely lost to memory, her story remains a poignant example of maritime risk before modern meteorological forecasting.