Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Trenton
- Type: Wooden two-masted schooner
- Year Built: 1843
- Builder: W.S. Lyons, Black River, Ohio
- Dimensions: Length: 85 ft (25.9 m); Beam: 20 ft (6.1 m); Depth of hold: 9 ft (2.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 133 GT
- Location: Near the mouth of the Grand River, Grand Haven, Michigan
- Official Number: None (Pre-1869 U.S. vessel documentation era)
- Original Owners: Registered out of Buffalo, New York
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Trenton was a wooden two-masted schooner designed for lake commerce, part of the fleet of mid-19th-century vessels that transported goods across the Great Lakes.
Description
The Trenton was built in 1843 at Black River, Ohio (now Lorain, Ohio) by W.S. Lyons. She likely operated in the grain, lumber, or general cargo trade between Buffalo, Milwaukee, Chicago, and Michigan ports.
History
Registered out of Buffalo, New York, the Trenton was designed for lake commerce and was part of the fleet of mid-19th-century schooners that transported goods across Lake Erie, Lake Michigan, and beyond.
Significant Incidents
- In late October 1856, the Trenton was caught in a powerful storm near the Grand River (Grand Haven, Michigan).
- The storm drove her ashore, leaving her stranded near the river’s mouth.
- She was severely damaged and declared a total loss, with no lives reported lost.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss due to storm damage. No known salvage efforts were made. The remains likely deteriorated or became buried under shifting sands near Grand Haven.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed modern discovery of the wreck. Potential remains may exist offshore or under sand near the mouth of the Grand River.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”trenton-1843″ title=”References & Links”]
The Trenton was a mid-sized schooner lost in a severe October storm in 1856 near Grand Haven, Michigan. Though no lives were lost, the vessel was completely destroyed and never recovered, making her one of many forgotten shipwrecks of Lake Michigan’s early maritime history.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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