Identification & Site Information

  • Name: STORM SPIRIT
  • Official Number: (none recorded)
  • Year Built: 1856
  • Built at: Port Huron, Michigan
  • Vessel Type: Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Number of Decks: 1
  • Builder: J. P. Arnold
  • Tonnage (old style): 223 tons
  • Final Location: Off Bark Shanty, tip of Michigan’s Thumb, Lake Huron
  • Date Lost: August 10, 1864
  • How Lost: Collision with Bark CITY OF MILWAUKEE while upbound at night

Vessel Type Description
The STORM SPIRIT was a typical mid-19th century wooden Schooner designed for bulk cargo operations on the Great Lakes. Its construction suited the grain and lumber trades of the era, with a single Deck and broad Hull form for maximizing cargo capacity.

History
The Schooner STORM SPIRIT was launched at Port Huron in 1856 and initially enrolled at Chicago the same year. By 1860, it was owned by S. Gray of Chicago, Illinois. That same year, the vessel went ashore near Port Rowan, Ontario, while carrying corn, where it sank and was Abandoned. The Schooner was raised the following month by Van Norman with the Tug E. P. Dorr and underwent substantial repairs in 1861. By 1863, ownership had transferred to Scott and Rankin of Erie, Pennsylvania.

On the night of August 10, 1864, STORM SPIRIT, upbound on Lake Huron, collided with the downbound Bark CITY OF MILWAUKEE near Bark Shanty at the tip of Michigan’s Thumb. The collision caused STORM SPIRIT to sink.

Final Disposition
Sank following collision, declared a Total Loss. No salvage documented beyond the wreck report.

NOTMARs & Advisories
None currently published specific to this wreck.

Located By & Date
The wreck has not been officially located or surveyed in modern times.

Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown, presumed scattered and buried in the sand off Bark Shanty, Lake Huron.

Resources & Links

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Schooner, Great Lakes Shipwreck, Lake Huron, 19th Century Shipping, Bark Shanty, Collision, Maritime History

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