RIO GRANDE (Official No. 21473)

Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Rio Grande
  • Official Number: 21473
  • Year Built: 1846
  • Built at: Point Peninsula, New York
  • Final Location: Off Long Point, Ohio, Lake Erie
  • Date Lost: 6 September 1877
  • How: Wrecked in a storm with tow companion Dubuque
  • Final Status: Total Loss, Abandoned

Vessel Type

Rio Grande was a Schooner originally, later Rebuilt as a Brig. Designed for cargo transport on the Great Lakes.

Description

  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Masts: 2
  • Tonnage (old style): Originally 252 tons; Rebuilt to 276 tons
  • Dimensions after 1872 Rebuild:
    • Length: 116.1 ft (35.4 m)
    • Beam: 24.6 ft (7.5 m)
    • Depth: 10.2 ft (3.1 m)
    • Tonnage: 203 Gross Tons (post-1872 measurement)

History

Rio Grande was launched in 1846 and enrolled at Sacketts Harbor, NY. It underwent several rebuilds and ownership changes over its 31-year career:

  • 1856: Rebuilt as a Brig (276 tons)
  • 1859–60: Reinforced structurally; owned by E.B. Allen & Sons, Ogdensburg, NY
  • 1863: Grounded at Port Colborne, Ontario
  • 1864–65: Repaired and sold to Buffalo ownership
  • 1871: Ashore at Presque Isle, PA in a gale
  • 1872: Owned by George Hartman, Gratiot, MI; remeasured
  • 1874: Rebuilt at Port Huron, MI
  • 6 Sep 1877: Wrecked in a severe Lake Erie storm with the Schooner Dubuque; both vessels declared total losses
  • 12 Sep 1877: Documentation formally surrendered at Port Huron

Final Disposition

Rio Grande was completely wrecked during a storm and Abandoned with her tow vessel, Dubuque. No lives lost are recorded, but the vessels were declared total losses.

Located By & Date Found

No definitive record of a discovery or wreck site survey is publicly available.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Rio Grande was a classic mid-19th-century Great Lakes cargo Schooner with a long service record, marked by multiple rebuilds and changes in ownership. Her final loss in 1877 during a storm off Long Point underscores the hazards of commercial sail-era lake transport. No modern recovery or survey efforts are known.

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