(built 1853, sank 1872)
Identification & Site Information
- Official Number: 37131
- Built: 1853 by William Myers, Sheffield, Ohio
- Type: Two-masted scow-Schooner (wooden)
- Dimensions: 74 × 19 × 3 ft (length × beam × depth); 14 gt (37 gt old measure) (linkstothepast.com, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Final Loss: Early May 1872, Lake Erie, in the south passage between Cedar Point and Marblehead, Ohio (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Vessel Type & Usage
A modest wooden scow-Schooner used for general freight. Scows were flat-bottomed, making them ideal for rivers and near-shore hauling on the Great Lakes.
History & Operational Record
Short career likely spent transporting bulk commodities—records don’t specify cargo, but context suggests grain or general freight typical of scows.
Incident & Final Disposition
- Collided in early May 1872 with the propeller Steamer Granite State
- Impact crushed her decks; she sank onto her Deck structure (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- The Tug Mystic towed her to a shoal/bar approximately halfway between Cedar Point and Marblehead
- Vessel stripped on-site and declared a Total Loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- No loss of life reported
Summary
Forest Maid was a modest, two-masted scow-Schooner built in 1853. In May 1872, she was fatally damaged in a collision with the propeller Steamer Granite State, then taken to a bar by the Tug Mystic and Abandoned as a Total Loss. Her remains rest in shallow water between Cedar Point and Marblehead, Ohio, with no recorded casualties.
Research Recommendations
- Newspaper Archives (April–June 1872)
Search Cleveland-area papers (e.g., Cleveland Leader, Plain Dealer) for collision reports and possible crew lists or cargo details. - Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (HCGL)
Access the original entry under Forest Maid (37131), and cross-reference MV, WL, NSP, HGL sources. - Harbor & Coast Guard Documents
Investigate bar inspection logs and salvage reports from Cedar Point / Marblehead for any salvage/cargo recovery efforts. - Insurance & Marine Registers
Check marine insurance logs or registry updates noting the vessel’s Total Loss status.