Identification & Technical Details

  • Name: L. B. Shepard (alternate spelling: L. B. Shephard)
  • Official No.: 14676
  • Type: Wooden Schooner
  • Built: 1855, Buffalo, NY
  • Dimensions: 115 ft × 26 ft × 11 ft; 215 gross, 204 net tons
  • Owner & Master: Capt. Charles Anderson of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; owned with his brother
  • Voyage: Bound from Menominee, Michigan, for Chicago carrying lumber

Final Voyage & Disaster (October 13, 1898)

  • Encountered a northeast gale while en route; large waves and fog contributed to distress.
  • Shepard lost Stern section, then capsized and sank after several hours of struggling offshore; crew Abandoned ship safely.
  • Later, the bow portion came ashore near Two Rivers, Wisconsin and broke up on the beach
  • No fatalities were reported among the crew.

Rescue & Aftermath

  • The wreck was located approximately ½ mile off Two Rivers, WI.
  • Local salvagers, aided by a Tug (likely Winslow from Detroit), battled inclement weather while attempting to recover wreckage.
  • The main loss involved cargo and Hull, though partial structural remains were stranded ashore, later dismantled by beachcombers and salvagers.

Archival Sources

  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (“S” list): Entry includes build details, narrative of Stern failure, capsizing, crew survival, and wrecking Tug involvement.
  • Manitowoc County shipwreck note: Reports Shepard waterlogged and rolled over during the October gale of 1898 near Two Rivers.

Research Gaps & Suggested Investigation

AreaRecommended Focus
Crew and testimoniesSeek out Two Rivers Chronicle or Sturgeon Bay Advocate (Oct–Nov 1898) for survivor accounts and local rescue records.
Cargo & salvage valueExamine marine insurance claims filed in Chicago or Buffalo for lumber cargo loss.
Wreck site documentationCheck whether local historical societies or the Wisconsin Historical Society hold photos or drawings of the wrecked bow on the beach.
Technical logsInvestigate Tug Winslow’s logs for details on their involvement and salvage attempts.

Historical Significance

The L. B. Shepard was an example of mid-19th-century wooden schooners still operating into the late 1800s. Her loss underscores persistent risks of fall gales and the vulnerability of Stern integrity under stress. The split-Hull failure and subsequent capsizing provide vivid insight into vessel structural limitations of that era—valuable for marine archaeology and maritime engineering study.

Conclusion

L. B. Shepard capsized and sank during a storm on October 13, 1898, with the Stern shearing off and part of the Hull beaching near Two Rivers, WI. All crewmembers survived. While the wreck no longer holds underwater remains, community salvage operations may have preserved records or artifacts—worth exploring in local archives.

  • Draft a newspaper-research plan targeting survivor interviews?
  • Reach out to Wisconsin Historical Society for photos or logs?
  • Outline a site visit guide to Two Rivers shoreline for field documentation?