(wooden Brig, built 1841)

Identification & Vessel Details

Final Incident (March 17, 1844)

  • Date: March 17, 1844
  • Location: St. Joseph, Michigan, Lake Michigan
  • Cargo: Stone
  • Situation: Departed St. Joseph bound for Chicago when caught in a spring storm. She struck the shoreline and was driven ashore and wrecked.
  • Casualties: None reported (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Incident Synopsis

The Rosa left St. Joseph carrying stone on March 17, 1844. She was overcome by a brutal spring squall and forced ashore on Lake Michigan’s shore near St. Joseph. The Brig was declared a Total Loss, though crew members survived the wreck. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Archival Notes & Research Opportunities

  • Registry Details
    • Official number not recorded
    • Ownership likely based in Buffalo, NY while under Captain Whiting’s command (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Newspaper Archives
    • Contemporary accounts likely in St. Joseph Chronicle, Detroit Free Press, or Chicago Tribune from March 1844—these should offer eyewitness testimony, salvage reports, or captain statements.
  • Salvage Records
    • Investigate Chicago Customs or St. Joseph port records for the wreck, cargo recovery, or insurance claims.

Conclusion

The Rosa was an early-1840s Brig that succumbed to a sudden spring storm on March 17, 1844, off St. Joseph, Michigan, while transporting stone to Chicago. The crew survived, but the vessel was wrecked and left ashore. Significant archival gaps remain regarding cargo recovery, salvage efforts, owner identification, and construction specifics. Further investigation through regional 1844 newspapers, customs records, and port registers could yield deeper insights into the circumstances and aftermath of her loss.