Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

William Grandy US 26838

Explore the wreck of the William Grandy, a 1867 brigantine lost to fire after being driven ashore in Lake Erie.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: William Grandy
  • Type: Brigantine
  • Year Built: 1867
  • Builder: Ira Lafrinier
  • Dimensions: 165.5 ft (50.4 m) X 32 ft (9.8 m); Depth: 11.8 ft (3.6 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 464.97 gross tons, 441 net tons
  • Location: Euclid Beach near Cleveland, Ohio
  • Official Number: 26838
  • Original Owners: N.C. Winslow, Buffalo, New York; L.P. & J.A. Smith, Cleveland
  • Number of Masts: 3

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The William Grandy was a wooden-hulled, three-masted brigantine, wire-rigged for durability, with significant sail area to handle bulk cargo runs across the lakes. Its capacity of 30,000 bushels made it a typical large-grain carrier of the era, designed for fast transit and large loads on Great Lakes routes.

Description

The William Grandy had an active career across multiple lakes, supporting bulk trade:

  • 1868: Registered in Buffalo, NY.
  • 1871, November: Lost its centreboard in the Straits of Mackinac.
  • 1874, April: Damaged in a Lake Huron squall.
  • 1874, October: Aground on Racine Reef, Lake Michigan; refloated.
  • 1876: Owned by Cardinell, Buffalo.
  • 1879: Repaired; ownership to Dennington et al., Cleveland, OH.
  • 1880: Lumber trade routes between Chicago and Menekaunee, Wisconsin.
  • 1881: Underwent a major rebuild.
  • 1898: Towed by the City of New York for trade.
  • 1906, August 28: Driven ashore by a gale near Euclid Beach, Lake Erie, while under the ownership of L.P. & J.A. Smith, Cleveland. Despite initial hopes of salvage, she caught fire and was destroyed on September 10, 1906.

History

Total loss — stranded, burned, and abandoned.

Significant Incidents

NOTMARs & Advisories
No current Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) associated with the wreck.

Located By & Date
No modern survey or archaeological investigation documented; presumed completely lost due to fire and wave action.

Final Disposition

No visible remains reported; site presumed dispersed by wave action and fire damage.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The William Grandy illustrates the typical challenges of late 19th-century Great Lakes sailing, surviving groundings, collisions, and storms before meeting its end in 1906. As a wire-rigged brigantine of significant size, it was well-adapted to bulk cargo but still no match for the combined threat of storms and fire that sealed its fate.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

Keywords
William Grandy, brigantine, Lake Erie, shipwreck, grain carrier, Great Lakes maritime history