Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Names and Former Names: J.V. Taylor
  • Registration Number: 13874
  • Year Built: 1867
  • Year of Loss / Abandonment: 1928 (possibly 1915)
  • Dimensions:
    • Length: 125 ft (38.1 m)
    • Beam: 26.16 ft (7.98 m)
    • Depth of Hold: 8.75 ft (2.67 m)
    • Gross Tonnage: 199.94 tons
  • Vessel Type: Two-masted Wolverine-rig Schooner (originally three-masted topsail Schooner)
  • Construction: Wood Hull, sail-powered
  • Builder: Myron Gibson (Gilson?) Shipyard, Winneconne, Wisconsin
  • Home Port: Chicago, Illinois
  • Final Location: Root River, Racine County, Wisconsin
    • Coordinates: 42° 43.788′ N / 87° 47.517′ W
    • Nearest City: Racine, Wisconsin
  • Depth: Submerged in shallow river water, largely visible at time of abandonment

Vessel Description

The J.V. Taylor was a wooden, three-masted topsail Schooner designed for the Lake Michigan lumber trade, primarily carrying 250,000 board feet of lumber per voyage. Around the early 20th century, she was converted to a two-masted “Wolverine” rig to reduce crew and operational costs as she aged.

Construction features included:

  • Framed and planked wood Hull typical of mid-19th century Lake schooners
  • Two remaining masts after modification (main and mizzen)
  • Shallow Draft suited for lumber port operations
  • Deck Rebuilt in 1873 and recaulked multiple times (1897, 1902)

Operational History

  • 1867: Launched for Putnam Lumber Co.; operated mainly out of Chicago.
  • 1871 (Aug 21): Collision with Schooner Spy off Waukegan, Illinois.
  • 1873: New Deck installed.
  • 1874 (May): Damaged by another collision on Lake Michigan.
  • 1882 (Aug 10): Collision with Schooner Jane Maria Scott; vessel Rebuilt the same year.
  • 1897 & 1902: Major maintenance including Deck recaulk and Hull repairs.
  • 1901–1910s: Operated as a two-masted Wolverine Schooner with light freight.

By the early 20th century, steamships had replaced schooners in the bulk trade, and the J.V. Taylor fell into disuse.

Final Disposition

  • Official Abandonment: 1928 (possibly laid up since ~1915)
  • Location: North bank of Root River, Racine, Wisconsin, just east of Marquette Street Bridge (formerly Meade Street)
  • Final Condition:
    • Lacking masts, waterlogged, partially submerged
    • Reported visible into the 1950s
    • Likely partially removed in the 1930s during river clearing
  • Modern Observations:
    • 1990s: Divers Bob Jaeck and Brad Friend documented remains
    • 2001 dredging left larger structural components intact, seen via drop camera
    • Area is adjacent to the Fifth Street Yacht Club and boat launch

No casualties are associated with the vessel; she was simply Abandoned at end-of-life.

Located By & Documentation

  • 1990s survey by Bob Jaeck & Brad Friend
  • 2001 Root River dredging revealed Hull timbers still in place

NOTMARs & Advisories

  • None known. River is navigable; wreck is partially embedded and not a listed hazard today.

Resources & Links

Shore Dive / Survey Information

  • Entry Point: Near Fifth Street Yacht Club, Racine
  • Depth: Less than 5 m (16 ft); shallow water survey
  • Visibility: Poor due to silt and river traffic
  • Permit: Required for disturbance; consult Wisconsin Historical Society
  • Coordinates: 42.7298° N, 87.7919° W
  • Nearby Support: Racine marinas and dive shops for shallow survey work

Conclusion

The J.V. Taylor is an excellent example of a late-19th-century Lake Michigan lumber Schooner, representative of the vessels that fueled the urban construction boom of Chicago and Milwaukee. While not a deep-water dive, the site is of archaeological interest for its Wolverine rig modification and river abandonment context. Conservation efforts would primarily focus on documentation and public history, as the site lies in an urban river subject to dredging.

Keywords: Racine, Root River, Schooner, Wolverine rig, lumber trade, abandonment, shallow-water wreck, 19th-century Great Lakes trade