Identification & Site Information

• Name: E.C.L.
• Built: c. 1845
• Type: Wooden two-masted Schooner
• Date of Loss: November 24, 1880
• Location: Anchored on Lake Erie; driven ashore during local gale
• Casualties: None reported
• Loss Classification: Total Loss; stripped on November 27, 1880
  (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wisconsin Shipwrecks, Wikipedia, Michigan Shipwrecks)

Vessel Description & Context

A typical mid‑19th‑century wooden Schooner serving the lumber-and-goods trade on the Great Lakes. At the time of loss, she was anchored in sheltered waters when a sudden localized storm overwhelmed her moorings.

Circumstances of Loss

The vessel was caught at anchor during a powerful squall on November 24, 1880. She was driven ashore, where wave action destroyed her Hull and rendered salvage unfeasible. Recognized as a total wreck, she was stripped of all useful fittings three days later, on November 27.
(Wikipedia)

Final Disposition

• Declared a Total Loss following the grounding
• Wreck was stripped of rigging, fittings, and fastenings
• Hull remained onshore, subsequently breaking apart naturally or via human removal
  (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)

Casualties

No crew were aboard at the time of the incident, and no injuries or fatalities were recorded.

Historical Notes

• After her grounding in 1851 near Chicago, the vessel was Rebuilt in 1855 as a Bark, but reverted to the name E.C.L. post-Rebuild
• By 1880, she had served approximately 35 years in lumber and freight trades
  (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)

Summary Table

Suggested Research Directions

• Search local Lake Erie newspapers (late November 1880 editions) for eyewitness accounts or salvage notices
• Investigate harbor logbooks from nearby ports for entries noting wreck and recovery efforts
• Explore land records or maritime salvage manifests for documentation of Hull disposition