Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Zenobia (1857)

Explore the wreck of the Zenobia, a wooden schooner lost in a storm on Lake Michigan in 1858, with potential remnants near Point Betsie.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Zenobia
  • Type: Wooden Schooner
  • Year Built: 1857
  • Builder: D. M. O’Connor (Buffalo?)
  • Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: 368 Tonnage (Old Style)
  • Location: Point Betsie, Lake Michigan
  • Coordinates: Point Betsie, near Frankfort, MI
  • Official Number: None
  • Original Owners: E.K. Bruce of Chicago
  • Number of Masts: Three-masted

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Zenobia was a large three-masted wooden schooner, built in 1857, likely for grain transport on the Great Lakes.

Description

The Zenobia was primarily engaged in the Chicago-to-Buffalo grain trade, carrying bulk agricultural goods such as corn, wheat, and flour from the Midwest to eastern markets. Schooners like the Zenobia were the main cargo vessels on the lakes during the mid-19th century, but they were highly vulnerable to the powerful storms of Lake Michigan, especially in autumn.

History

The Zenobia was owned by E.K. Bruce of Chicago and operated in the grain trade. On her final voyage, she departed Chicago loaded with 16,000 bushels of corn bound for Buffalo, New York. Three days into the journey, she encountered a powerful storm that drove her off course toward Point Betsie.

Significant Incidents

  • The Zenobia was unable to withstand the storm and was driven ashore at Point Betsie, where the waves broke her apart.
  • The crew clung to the wreck for three days before reaching shore to report the loss.
  • The vessel was declared a total loss along with her cargo.

Final Disposition

The wreck of the Zenobia has never been definitively located. The wooden hull was likely broken apart by waves and sand movement over the years, but iron hardware, fastenings, and possibly some cargo remnants could still exist on the lakebed.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The current condition of the wreck is uncertain, with no modern documentation confirming its exact location. Maritime archaeologists and wreck hunters could potentially locate scattered remains near Point Betsie.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The Zenobia serves as a classic example of 19th-century Great Lakes schooner losses, highlighting the dangers faced by vessels in the grain trade during autumn storms.