Identification & Site Information
- Name: Rural
- Former Names: None
- Official Number: Not documented
- Date Built & Launched: Likely early 1870s
- Type: Wooden Schooner or scow—used for cargo
- Cargo at Loss: Not recorded
- Crew at Loss: Tragic loss of at least four lives—including three rescuers
- Date Lost: 16 October 1873 (approximate)
- Place of Loss: Lake Huron—driven ashore and wrecked on a reef
Vessel Type
A wooden cargo Barge or small Schooner, employed in coastal freight transport during the mid-19th century on Lake Huron.
Description & History
Little is known about Rural‘s construction or prior service. In October 1873, she was driven onto a reef and broke up in a storm. A tragedy unfolded when one crew member was swept overboard during the wreck, and three shore-based rescuers died when their small rescue boat capsized. The remaining crew were rescued by the nearby Schooner Hippogriff(greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, countrylines.com, ourmidland.com, alcheminc.com, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org).
Final Disposition
The vessel was a Total Loss—broken apart on the reef during the gale, with no record of salvage.
Located By & Date Found
No modern rediscovery has been documented. No GPS coordinates or dive records exist. The site remains uncharted.
Notations & Advisories
No navigational warnings or markers are associated with the wreck site.
Conclusion
The loss of Rural is a tale of human tragedy tied to a routine freight voyage—one crew member drowned, and would-be rescue heroes lost their lives as well. While her Hull was destroyed on the reef, the story remains an abrupt reminder of the peril of 19th-century coastal navigation on the Great Lakes.
Suggested Keywords & Glossary Terms: freight Schooner, reef wreck, storm and grounding, Lake Huron maritime tragedy
Categories:
- Great Lakes shipwrecks
- Lake Huron wrecks
- 19th‑century cargo vessels
- rescuer fatalities