Vessel Details
- Name: S. B. Paige
- Built: 1863 by Fowler in Oshkosh, Wisconsin — a two-masted wooden Schooner (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Official Number: 116335
- Owners: A. Day & Co., later Cook & Brown Lime Co., based in Oshkosh (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Role: Primarily carried lime, brick, and other building materials across the Great Lakes (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
Final Voyage & Loss – September 10, 1907
- The 143‑GRT Schooner was caught in a storm on Lake Michigan near South Manitou Island (Wikipedia)
- The vessel stranded during the gale and became a Total Loss, with all four people on board rescued (Wikipedia)
Wreck Site & Aftermath
- Location: Stranded off South Manitou Island, Lake Michigan
- Casualties: None — full crew survival confirmed in records (Wikipedia)
- Wreck Condition: Declared a total wreck; likely broke up in surf. No formal salvage or archaeological survey documented.
Archival & Historical Sources
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks: Vessel build details, tonnage, ownership, and trade cargo (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- “List of shipwrecks in 1907”: Official listing of grounding and survival (Wikipedia)
Significance & Research Opportunities
- Longevity: Served for 44 years—an impressive lifespan for a wooden Great Lakes Schooner
- Wreck History: The loss in 1907 demonstrates vulnerability of aging wooden vessels to storms despite modern maritime advances
- Research Prospects:
- Historical weather records or newspaper archives (e.g., Ludington Daily News, Traverse City Record-Eagle) may provide firsthand storm accounts and rescue details.
- Underwater survey off South Manitou Island could locate structural remnants or cargo debris for archaeological study.