(wooden Schooner, built 1855)

Identification & Vessel History

  • Name: Poland
  • Build: 1855 at Bailey’s yard, New Buffalo, Michigan
  • Tonnage: 74 gross tons
  • Dimensions: 72 ft × 21 ft × 7 ft
  • Official Number: Not listed in sources
  • Fate: Noted as “burned in 1878” in a Port Huron surrender document dated December 5, 1881 — indicating the vessel was destroyed by fire circa 1878 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Final Incident & Discrepancies

  • Fire loss: The surrendered documentation at Port Huron reads:
    “Document surrendered at Port Huron 12/5/1881, annotated ‘burned in 1878.’”
  • Previous incidents:
    • A vessel named Poland reportedly wrecked on Lake Michigan in 1857.
    • The same vessel is noted to have capsized near Waukegan in 1857 and again off St. Joseph in 1858 — suggesting a troubled career (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Conclusion: The Poland underwent multiple maritime emergencies in the late 1850s and early 1860s and ultimately was destroyed by fire around 1878.

Archival Gaps & Research Recommendations

  • Fire incident details (1878)
    • Search Port Huron-area newspapers (e.g., Port Huron Times, Detroit Free Press) from 1878 for dock or harbor fire reports implicating the Poland
  • Earlier wreck capsizing events (1857–1863)
    • Investigate local papers near Waukegan, St. Joseph, and Lake Michigan regional shipping logs for coverage of the 1857 capsizing and 1858 incident
    • Explore salvage notices or notices to mariners in maritime bulletins of that period
  • Registry & Official Number
    • Check U.S. Merchant Vessel Lists (circa 1855–1878) for entries under “Poland,” possibly listing dimensions, tonnage, owner, and home port
  • Ownership & crew
    • Determine the owner’s name (documented at time of burning) via Port Huron surrender records; crew manifests may appear in registry filings
  • Physical remains & site
    • The fire likely destroyed the vessel beyond repair on shore or in port, suggesting no remaining wreck site—but salvage reports may provide location of charred remains or scrapping

Summary & Next Steps

The Schooner Poland had a turbulent history, enduring capsizes and wrecking events in the late 1850s before ultimately burning around 1878 and being officially documented as destroyed upon docking at Port Huron. To clarify her story—and definitively determine whether the 1857 wreck and 1878 fire involve the same vessel—archival research across regional newspapers, registry lists, and port records from Waukegan to Port Huron is required.