Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Charter
  • Type: Wooden-hulled propeller Steamship (initially a sidewheeler, later converted)
  • Year Built: 1849 by F. Ketchum, Huron, OH
  • Final Location: Approximately six miles above Fairport, Ohio, on Lake Erie
  • Date Lost: 21 August 1856
  • Final Cargo: Flour, oats, and rye
  • Casualties: None reported

Vessel Type & Description

Originally constructed as a side-wheel Steamship, Charter was Rebuilt as a propeller-driven vessel around 1853. At the time of loss, she measured approximately 132 ft long × 20 ft beam × 8 ft depth and 197 gross tons (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Flybridge).

History & Final Voyage

Final Disposition

The stormy gales in late summer proved too much for the wooden-hulled Charter, resulting in a Total Loss. Subsequent storms later that month further ravaged the wreck, rendering it beyond recovery (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).

Located By & Wreck Status

No modern dives or site surveys have been recorded. The wreck presumably remains near Fairport, submerged and largely intact due to shallow depth.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No Notices to Mariners were issued at the time.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

Charter is a classic example of early Steamboat risk on the Great Lakes—transitioning Hull types but unable to withstand sudden severe weather. Though built for inland cargo corridors, she met her fate under the relentless waves of Lake Erie, yet contributed her machinery back to the marine economy.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary

  • Keywords: Charter (1849), propeller Steamship, Lake Erie, storm sinking, grain cargo
  • Categories: 19th-century steamboats, Lake Erie shipwrecks, storm losses, machinery salvage
  • Glossary:
    • Swamped: Flooded with water to the point of sinking
    • Propeller Conversion: Retrofitting a vessel from side-wheel to Screw Propulsion