Vessel Identification & Profile

  • Name: William Bates (also listed as William N. Bates)
  • Official Number: 80052
  • Year Built: 1866
  • Builder: F. Burke
  • Build Location: Trenton, Michigan
  • Vessel Type: Scow Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1

Dimensions

  • Tonnage (Gross): 54.79 tons

Ownership & Service History

  • 1870: Registered home port: White Lake, MI
  • 1871: Owned by Elton & McDonald, Trenton, MI
  • 1874: Ownership transferred to Preston, St. Joseph, MI
  • 1876–1879: Owned by Thompson, Holland, MI
  • 1880: Owned by R. Stone and partners, Oswego, NY

Final Disposition

  • Date of Loss: November 7, 1880
  • Location: Foot of Georgia Street, Buffalo, NY (Lake Erie)
  • Cause: Blown ashore during severe weather event; vessel filled with water and declared a Total Loss
  • Cargo at Time of Loss: Wheat
  • Condition: Presumed destroyed or dismantled after grounding
  • Casualties: None recorded

Historical Significance
The William Bates was a typical small Scow Schooner of the mid-19th century Great Lakes fleet, operating across Michigan and New York for bulk cargo such as grain and lumber. Her grounding in Buffalo during a fall gale was representative of numerous similar losses in the Erie corridor, where wind-driven harbor incidents frequently ended small wooden vessels’ careers.

Research Recommendations

  • Examine Buffalo port newspapers from November 1880 for incident details
  • Investigate harbor salvage or abandonment records in the Erie County archives
  • Review enrollment and customs documents for Oswego, NY from late 1880 for deregistration

Sources & Collections

Keywords and Categories

  • Region: Lake Erie, Buffalo
  • Vessel Type: Scow Schooner
  • Cause of Loss: Gale/grounding
  • Cargo: Wheat
  • Material: Wood
  • Period: 1866–1880
  • Final Status: Total Loss due to weather
  • Hazards: Gale, harbor entrance

The William Bates underscores the vulnerability of lightly built scow schooners to sudden wind events and harbor misfortunes, particularly at heavily trafficked ports like Buffalo.