(wooden three-masted Schooner, built 1836)

Identification & Vessel Information

  • Name: Milwaukie (sometimes spelled Milwaukee)
  • Built: 1836, B.F. Delano yard, Grand Island, Niagara River
  • Type: Wooden three-masted Schooner, used for general merchandise freight
  • Dimensions: 113 ft × 27 ft × 10 ft; approximately 286 tons (old measurement)
  • Official Number: Not officially documented; known as one of the earliest ships launched on Lake Michigan (michiganshipwrecks.org, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, AOL)

Final Incident – November 18, 1842

  • Date: November 18, 1842 (some sources cite Nov 2; endorsed as Nov 18 from survivor letters and ship registries) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Voyage & Cargo: Departed anchorage off the mouth of Kalamazoo River after loading 400–500 barrels of flour and additional merchandise (including whiskey) from St. Joseph; bound for Buffalo, New York (michiganshipwrecks.org)
  • Storm Conditions: Captured in a vicious late-season storm (“hard winter storm”) with strong northwest winds and freezing temperatures (KATV)
  • Final Stranding: The anchored vessel dragged onto a sandbar, pounded broadside agadinst beach ice, and broke in half in heavy seas (michiganshipwrecks.org)
  • Casualties: 9 out of 15 aboard perished—seven froze ashore, two drowned attempting to swim (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Outcome & Wreck Details

  • Declared: Total constructive loss; wreck broke in two on the sandbar and was quickly destroyed.
  • Salvage: Bodies recovered; cargo washed ashore and salvaged by local communities; no vessel salvage is recorded (KATV)
  • Legacy: Built as one of the first three-masted schooners on Lake Michigan, Milwaukie’s tragic demise during the 1842 “incredible storm” made it one of the earliest recorded shipwrecks on the lake.

Primary & High-Quality Sources

  • Michigan Shipwreck Research Association: Detailed narrative of Milwaukie’s final voyage, loading history, disaster sequence, wreck breakup, and survival outcome (michiganshipwrecks.org)
  • AccuWeather, UPI, Katv⁏: Modern rediscovery of the wreck site off Saugatuck using satellite mapping and dive analysis, confirming remains amid sandbar conditions from 2022–23 (KATV)
  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (Letter “M”): Structured summary of cargo, casualties, and wreck dynamics (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Research Opportunities & Preservation Insights

  • Site Analysis: Underwater detection has revealed the Keel and structural ribs in sand at Saugatuck Dunes State Park (KATV)
  • Archival Narratives: Survivor letters and crew statements filed in ship registries are preserved and offer compelling personal accounts (KATV)
  • Grave & Memorial Records: Likely unmarked burial sites near the wreck point; potential for local archival or genealogy documentation
  • Material Culture: Remaining ship timbers offer archaeological insight into early Schooner construction styles on the Great Lakes

Conclusion

The Milwaukie, launched in 1836 as one of Lake Michigan’s first three-masted schooners, met a tragic end on November 18, 1842, during a severe storm while anchored at the Kalamazoo River mouth. Laden with flour, whiskey, and merchandise, she broke in two and was destroyed on a sandbar. Nine of the fifteen aboard perished. Rediscovered in 2023 through sonar investigation near Saugatuck, the wreck now stands as a poignant artifact of early Great Lakes maritime history.