STANLEY L. NOBLE (Official No. 23103) — 1846 Schooner
Identification & Site Information
- Name: STANLEY L. NOBLE
- Official Number: 23103
- Built: 1846, Fairport, OH — by Erastus Lockwood
- Hull: Wood, single-Deck Schooner
- Masts: Two
- Dimensions (post-1851 Rebuild):
- Main: 96.6 × 20 × 7 ft → 126.56 gross tons
- Original: 78 × 20 × 7 ft → 103.54 tons
- Final Loss: November 16, 1868 — driven ashore & wrecked near Clay Banks, Wisconsin (Lake Michigan)
- Last Cargo: Cordwood
- Casualties: None reported
Operational History & Chronology
- 1846–1863:
- Enrolled at Cleveland, OH (1846–1863)
- Rebuilt and lengthened in 1851 — tonnage increased to 126.56 tons
- 1858: Jettisoned 3,000 staves during a Lake Erie gale
- Nov 1860: Driven ashore at Bar Point, Lake Erie — declared a Total Loss but recovered
- 1860–1868:
- Owned by Honeywell & Becker, Cleveland (1860)
- Repaired extensively in 1862
- Re-measured at 88.4 gross tons (1865)
- Ownership changed to James Howard, Port Huron, MI (1866) and Thomas Ellery, Port Huron (April 1867)
- Nov 16, 1868:
- Final wreck during a storm; grounded north of Gillilland’s Pier (Clay Banks area) and broke apart, resulting in Total Loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Disposition
- Loss Type: Driven ashore by gale, wrecked and broken up
- Casualties: None
- Site Fate: Wreck dispersed in surf near Clay Banks; no known intact Hull remains
Archival Sources
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files entry under “S. L. NOBLE” – confirms official number, build/Renaming, loss location (Clay Banks, WI), loss type, cargo, and lack of casualties (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
- The Schooner’s prior wreck at Bar Point (Nov 1860) and Rebuild are also recorded in the same database (NPS History).
Research Gaps & Suggested Archive Follow‑Up
- Newspaper Coverage
- Milwaukee Sentinel, Racine Journal, Chicago Tribune for November 1868 could offer storm context, eyewitness accounts, or cargo/captain details.
- April/May 1858 and November 1860 papers likely mention the staves jettison and the Bar Point grounding.
- Enrollment & Registry Records
- U.S. enrollment records (NARA Region 5) may document masters, owners, Rebuild certificates, and enrollment changes.
- Harbor Logs & Marine Records
- Port Huron, Cleveland, and Bar Point harbor logs—particularly logs of salvage, survey, or official inquiries.
Quick Reference Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Built/Enrolled | 1846, Fairport, OH |
| Rebuilt (Lengthened) | 1851 → 96.6 ft, 126.56 GRT |
| Notable Incidents | 1858 (jettisoned staves), 1860 grounding |
| Final Wreck | 16 Nov 1868, Clay Banks, WI |
| Cargo at Loss | Cordwood |
| Loss Conditions | Gale-driven grounding; Total Loss |
| Casualties | None reported |
Conclusion
The STANLEY L. NOBLE exemplified a mid-19th-century wooden Schooner that endured multiple severe incidents across Lake Erie before its final wreck on Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shore in November 1868. Despite its robust service and Rebuild, it succumbed to a powerful storm that drove her ashore near Clay Banks. While no physical wreck remains, the event is well-documented in Great Lakes vessel registers.