Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Major Barnum
  • Type: Wooden Schooner
  • Built: 1849, Dexter, New York
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Number of Decks: 1
  • Masts: 2
  • Dimensions:
    • Length: 71 ft (21.64 m)
    • Beam: 18 ft (5.49 m)
    • Depth: 5.75 ft (1.75 m)
  • Tonnage (Old Style): 65 tons
  • Final Location: North Point, Two Rivers, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
  • Date Lost: 14 September 1854
  • Final Cargo: Lumber

Vessel Type

The Major Barnum was a modest two-masted wooden Schooner typical of mid-19th-century inland lake cargo carriers. Designed for versatility and shallow Draft, she serviced timber and agricultural transport across Lake Michigan and surrounding waters.

Description

As a small Schooner with basic rigging and limited tonnage, Major Barnum would have been used mainly for near-shore work and harbor-to-harbor shipments. The vessel’s shallow Draft made it suitable for loading directly at river mouths, as was common in early lumber port operations.

History

  • 1849: Enrolled at Sackets Harbor, NY — a known shipbuilding and registry port on Lake Ontario.
  • 1850: Re-enrolled in Chicago, IL, marking her transition to Lake Michigan operations.
  • 1851 (Jun 16): Ran ashore at Mackinac with a cargo of oats and flour — survived and returned to service.
  • 1853 (Apr 30): Ashore again near Manistee, MI with a lumber cargo.
  • 1853 (May 4): Went ashore again just south of the government piers at Milwaukee, WI.
  • 1854 (Mar 15): Registered to new owners in Milwaukee.
  • 1854 (Sep 14): Final incident — while loading lumber at the river mouth near Two Rivers, WI, Major Barnum was caught in a gale, blown onto the beach, and wrecked.

This pattern of frequent strandings indicates either structural limitations or operation during marginal weather, both common for working schooners in that period.

Final Disposition

The Schooner was declared a Total Loss after being driven ashore in a storm. On 27 September 1854, the wreck was sold to a local shipbuilder in Two Rivers, likely for salvage or repurposing of usable timbers.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed modern location or dive site exists for the wreckage of Major Barnum. Given the shore location and subsequent sale, the wreck was likely dismantled or salvaged soon after.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Major Barnum offers a representative case study of small Schooner workboats on the Great Lakes in the mid-19th century. Though not a large or famous vessel, her repeated groundings and eventual loss highlight the tough conditions and frequent hazards faced by lake mariners, especially during the rapid expansion of the lumber trade. Her final grounding and sale for salvage close the chapter on a vessel that saw hard use during her short five-year career.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Schooner, wooden ship, lumber trade, Lake Michigan, Two Rivers WI, early Great Lakes vessels, 19th-century shipping, maritime loss, wrecked by storm, beaching, Wisconsin shipwrecks.