(Schooner, built 1864 – lost October 30, 1883, Lake Michigan, Michigan coast)

Identification & Site Information

Vessel Type

  • Type: Two‑masted wooden Schooner, likely used for hauling lumber along the Lake Michigan coastline.

Description

Built in 1864 at Green Bay, Mary Nau was a small coastal Schooner of modest dimensions and tonnage, intended for near-shore timber transport. Her shallow Draft and modest size made her suitable for loading lumber at river ports like Whitehall and delivering to larger Great Lakes ports.

History

Registered officially circa mid-1860s, operated primarily on Lake Michigan, carrying lumber between Michigan ports and Chicago. Few crew or ownership records survive in published lists; she appears in Great Lakes incident listings with basic specs and loss entry (Wikipedia).

Crew & Casualties

  • Crew: Six men aboard at time of loss
  • Casualties: None; all six survived the wreck (Wikipedia)

Final Disposition

Caught in a gale on October 30, 1883, while returning from Whitehall to Chicago with a load of lumber, Mary Nau broke loose or was driven ashore just south of Grand Haven harbor entrance. She grounded and was a Total Loss. No survivors were lost, and the cargo was presumably stranded or dislodged, but crew safety was maintained.

Located By & Date Found

There is no record of an underwater wreck location. Since she stranded onshore and likely broke apart through wave action or salvage, no remains are documented in dive surveys or archaeological databases.

Notices to Mariners & Advisories

No official Notices to Mariners or marine hazard bulletins were issued post-loss; the wreck occurred near shore and presented no sustained open‑water hazard.

Resources & Links

  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – N‑list: concise incident entry on Mary Nau’s October 30, 1883 loss south of Grand Haven, including crew count and cargo type (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • BGSU / Manitoba Archives Vessel Lists: confirm official number, tonnage, builder, and registry information (manitouislandsarchives.org)

Research Gaps & Recommendations

  • Crew and ownership details: Enrollment records at HCGL (Bowling Green) and U.S. maritime registries for 1864–1883 could yield names of the ship’s master, owner, and crew manifests.
  • Newspaper coverage: Examine late October and early November 1883 issues of Michigan lakeshore newspapers (e.g., Grand Haven Herald, Whitehall Times, Chicago Tribune) for storm reports, impact description, and potential rescue or salvage efforts by the Grand Haven Lifesaving crew.
  • Port & insurance archives: Grand Haven or Whitehall port records or marine insurance files may include claims for the cargo loss or vessel valuation.
  • Shoreline archaeology: Survey beach areas south of the Grand Haven harbor entrance for timbers, fasteners, or hardware consistent with the period Schooner; local museums or historical societies may possess artifacts or eyewitness accounts.

Summary

Mary Nau, a modest two‑masted Schooner built in Green Bay in 1864, was lost in a gale on October 30, 1883, while carrying lumber from Whitehall, MI to Chicago. Driven ashore just south of Grand Haven harbor, she grounded and was wrecked. Her crew of six survived with no loss of life. There is no recorded underwater site, and documentation beyond registry and wreck listings is minimal. Further archival research, particularly in newspapers and maritime enrollment records, could expand knowledge of her ownership, crew, and final circumstances.