Identification & Site Information

  • Name: LA PETITE
  • Official Number: 15100
  • Year Built: 1866
  • Final Location: Off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
  • Date Lost: 7 September 1903
  • How Lost: Foundered after leaking while under tow
  • Final Cargo: Crockery and wood slabs
  • Casualties: None reported; crew rescued by U.S. Life Saving Service

Vessel Type

Three-masted wooden Schooner, commonly used on the Great Lakes in the 19th century for general cargo trade. Rigged for sailing and later modified with increased length and tonnage.

Description

  • Builder: J. Ketchum
  • Build Location: Huron, Ohio
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Masts: 3
  • Original Dimensions:
    • Length: 94.66 ft (28.9 m)
    • Beam: 21.25 ft (6.5 m)
    • Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
    • Gross Tonnage: 122.16 tons
  • Post-1872 Dimensions (after lengthening):
    • Length: 119 ft (36.3 m)
    • Beam: 23.58 ft (7.2 m)
    • Depth: 8.25 ft (2.5 m)
    • Gross Tonnage: 125.05 tons

History

  • 1866: Enrolled at Sandusky, OH; early incidents include Deck cargo loss on Lake Erie.
  • 1869: Collision damage in Cleveland, OH.
  • 1871, Oct 20: Capsized in a gale on Lake Huron and Abandoned; recovered by Tug BROCKWAY days later.
  • 1872: Lengthened at Clay Banks, WI.
  • 1874, Nov 11: Leaking incident near Big Point Sable, Lake Michigan; went aground.
  • 1878–1883: Series of groundings and repairs, operated under multiple owners across Huron and Milwaukee.
  • 1896: Topside Rebuilt at Milwaukee Drydock Co.
  • 1903: Final voyage under ownership of Theodore Plathner, Milwaukee, WI.

Final Disposition

On 7 September 1903, while en route from Torch Lake, MI to Milwaukee, WI, LA PETITE began leaking and was subsequently taken in tow. Despite these efforts, she Foundered off Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Her crew was safely rescued by the U.S. Life Saving Service. The cargo of crockery and wood slabs was lost with the vessel.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery or modern documentation of the wreck exists. Presumed broken up and unrecovered off the coast of Sturgeon Bay.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

LA PETITE served over three decades on the Great Lakes, illustrating the durability and adaptability of wooden schooners during the 19th century. Modified and repaired numerous times, her career was punctuated by collisions, capsizings, and groundings before finally succumbing to structural failure while under tow. Her end marks a typical fate for aging wooden vessels as steam and steel came to dominate lake shipping.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Keywords: Schooner, Lake Michigan, Sturgeon Bay, Foundered, wood cargo, sailing vessel, 19th-century Great Lakes
Categories: Cargo schooners, Lake Michigan wrecks, wooden shipwrecks, sail-era maritime losses
Glossary:

  • Foundered: To fill with water and sink
  • Lengthened: A structural Rebuild that extends the Hull for more capacity
  • Life Saving Service: Predecessor of the U.S. Coast Guard focused on rescue operations