Vessel Identification & Profile

  • Name: William
  • Year Built: 1818
  • Build Location: Vermillion, Ohio
  • Vessel Type: Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1
  • Masts: 2
  • Original Owners: Horace Griffin and Benjamin Foster (Fowler)

Dimensions

  • Length: 40 ft
  • Beam: 15 ft 3 in
  • Depth: 5 ft 10 in
  • Tonnage (Old Style): 32.63 tons

Operational History & Ownership Changes

  • 1819, July 10: Enrolled at Danbury, Ohio
  • 1820, May 5: Enrolled at Buffalo, New York
  • 1820, Nov 9: Aground at Cleveland with a cargo of salt
  • 1822, Apr 24: Owned by Horace Griffin & Reuben B. Hecox, Buffalo
  • 1823, Nov 5: Solely owned by Horace Griffin, Buffalo
  • 1824, Jul 26: Joint ownership with James Baley (Bailey), Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1825, Apr 1: Transferred to James Bailey et al., Buffalo, NY

Final Disposition

  • Date of Loss: October 15, 1825
  • Cause: Wrecked in a storm event
  • Location: Near Cleveland, Ohio, Lake Erie
  • Associated Wrecks: Lost in same storm with Neptune, Prudence, and Mercator
  • Casualties: Not recorded
  • Condition: Presumed Total Loss

Historical Significance
The William is among the earliest commercial schooners recorded on Lake Erie, representative of the first generation of lake commerce vessels after the War of 1812. Her history includes multiple ownerships among early Buffalo and Cleveland merchants and illustrates the vulnerabilities of early lake navigation. The 1825 wreck event also saw the loss of three other vessels, indicating a major gale or storm system affecting the southern Lake Erie coast.

Sources & Collection References

Keywords and Categories

  • Region: Lake Erie, Cleveland
  • Vessel Type: Early Schooner
  • Material: Wood
  • Operational Period: 1818–1825
  • Cause of Loss: Wrecked in storm
  • Significance: Early Lake Erie navigation, multiple-vessel storm loss