Identification & Site Information

  • Name: ERASTUS BOWEN (also recorded as BOWEN, E/)
  • Year Built: 1844
  • Built at: Not specifically recorded
  • Vessel Type: Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Number of Decks: 1
  • Number of Masts: 2
  • Length: 66 feet (20.1 metres)
  • Beam: 15 feet (4.6 metres)
  • Depth: 5 feet (1.5 metres)
  • Tonnage (old style): 42 tons
  • Final Location: Grosse Pointe, near Chicago, Illinois, Lake Michigan
  • Date Lost: April 1851
  • How Lost: Stranded
  • Final Cargo: Household goods

Vessel Type Description
The Erastus Bowen was a small, two-masted wooden Schooner typical of early Great Lakes shipping. Designed for the transport of general cargo including lumber, grain, and household goods, schooners of this size and period operated widely on nearshore trades between Midwest ports.

History
The Erastus Bowen was launched in 1844 and initially enrolled at Detroit, Michigan, with trade routes linking to other Lake Michigan ports. By 1847, she was re-enrolled at Chicago, indicating her involvement in the fast-growing commerce of Illinois and Wisconsin.

In April 1851, the Schooner stranded near Grosse Pointe, just below Chicago, while carrying household goods. Little detail survives about the cause of the stranding, but no lives were reported lost. The Schooner was likely a Total Loss or Abandoned soon after, as no further enrollment records appear after 1851.

Final Disposition
Stranded and Abandoned near Grosse Pointe, Illinois.

NOTMARs & Advisories
None currently noted.

Located By & Date
No modern survey or diver location is recorded for the wreck of the Erastus Bowen.

Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown; presumed scattered or buried nearshore in Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Schooner, Early Great Lakes Shipping, Lake Michigan Shipwreck, Stranded Vessel, Household Cargo, 19th Century Trade, Grosse Pointe

If you like, I can help you look into any crew or ownership records connected with her as well — just let me know.