Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Lodi
  • Year built: 1834
  • Builder: Burton Parsons, Huron, Ohio
  • Original owner: Oliver Newberry, Detroit, Michigan
  • Number of decks: 1
  • Number of masts: 2
  • Vessel type: Wooden Schooner
  • Vessel measurements:
    • Length: 19.4 m (63 ft 6 in)
    • Beam: 5.8 m (19 ft 2 in)
    • Depth of hold: 1.9 m (6 ft 2 in)
    • Tonnage (old style): 66 67/95 tons
  • Date lost: 21 November 1855
  • Final location: Grand Haven Bar, Lake Michigan

Vessel Type

Two-masted wooden Schooner, rigged for general cargo transport, designed for inland and Great Lakes navigation.

Description

Lodi was a compact wooden Schooner, single-decked with two masts and simple standing rigging, designed to handle varied general freight. Her shallow Draft and relatively broad beam allowed her to access river harbours and smaller Great Lakes ports while maintaining reasonable cargo capacity.

History

Launched in 1834 at Huron, Ohio, Lodi was enrolled at Detroit on May 28 of that year under ownership of Oliver Newberry, a well-known shipowner of the period. She traded widely on the Great Lakes, carrying diverse cargos, including produce, manufactured goods, and lumber.

Throughout her career, she had several mishaps:

  • In November 1838, she ran ashore between Madison and Ashtabula on Lake Erie.
  • By April 1839, ownership had transferred to A.P. Tubbs and John H. Hall of Conneaut, Ohio.
  • In October 1842, she was struck and sunk by the Steamer Chautauque off Sturgeon Point, Lake Erie, while under the ownership of Captain Tubbs, but was recovered and returned to service.
  • In October 1844, she was damaged again in a Lake Erie gale.

By 1855, Lodi was based out of Chicago, Illinois. On November 21 of that year, she stranded on Grand Haven Bar, Lake Michigan, while bound from Chicago to Grand Haven in a storm. A government lifeboat crew succeeded in rescuing her sailors before the vessel broke up on the bar.

Final Dispositions

Total Loss by stranding and wrecking; the Hull was Abandoned and no salvage is recorded.

Located By & Date Found

No modern survey has confirmed the exact remains; they are presumed buried in shifting sands off Grand Haven.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Lodi is a representative example of early Great Lakes Schooner design, built for versatility in cargo carriage and shallow-Draft operations. Her long and eventful service, punctuated by several accidents, demonstrates the risks of early Great Lakes sailing. Her final loss in 1855 near Grand Haven marks the end of a two-decade career in one of the region’s most dynamic shipping eras.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

  • Schooner
  • wooden Hull
  • 1830s shipbuilding
  • Lake Michigan
  • Grand Haven
  • stranded
  • maritime rescue
  • Great Lakes commerce
  • Oliver Newberry
  • shipwreck

If you’d like, I can help you search for local newspaper reports from 1855 on the Lodi wreck or crew rescue — let me know!