J. S. Harvey
Ship stats
Depth: 1-8 feet
Coordinates: To be announced
Vessel Type: Brigantine
Length: 126.7 feet
Breadth: 25.5 feet
Gross Tonnage: 299.06
Cargo: Wheat
Built: 1855 by Alfred Gilson or P.R. Beaupre at Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Port of Registry at Loss: Chicago, Illinois
Owner at Loss: J. Peacock, Chicago, Illinois
Date Lost: December 8, 1884
Cause of Loss: Stranded in storm
Loss of Life: Reportedly 4 of 9
Historical Background
The brigantine J.S. Harvey was built in 1855 by Alfred Gilson or P.R. Beaupre at Sheboygan, Wisconsin for John S. Harvey of Milwaukee. The brigantine was 126.7 feet long, with a 25.5-foot breadth and a 10-foot depth of hold, measuring 299.06 gross tons. Throughout its 9-year-long career, J.S. Harvey was operated by several Milwaukee and Chicago owners in the grain trade, primarily between Lake Michigan and Buffalo, New York.
On December 7, 1864, J.S. Harvey was downbound through the Welland Canal laden with wheat from Milwaukee for Ogdensburg, New York on a rare trip to Lake Ontario. After clearing from Port Weller, J.S. Harvey was caught in a gale while following the north shore of the lake. Arriving off Oswego on the morning of December 8, J.S. Harvey was unable to enter the harbor and was driven eastward by the wind and waves. J.S. Harvey’s crew dropped both of its anchors in an attempt to prevent their vessel from going ashore, but one of the anchor cables snapped and they continued to drift eastward, dragging the remaining anchor.
Around 4:00 p.m., J.S. Harvey went ashore east of the mouth of the Little Salmon River. Though the wreck was sighted by local residents, it was nearly nightfall, and nothing could be done until the following morning. The crew suffered through a frigid night, taking shelter from the waves in the rigging, with two of the crew perishing from exposure. By 4:00 a.m. a boat had been brought overland to the scene of the wreck and a crew of volunteers rescued seven survivors from the wreck. Tragically, two of the crew reportedly later succumbed to exposure after being rescued.
Wreck Site
J.S. Harvey’s wreckage lies broken and scattered in shallow water along a wide area of shoreline in southern Mexico Bay, approximately 1.5 miles east of the mouth of the Little Salmon River. The remains of the hull consist of the bilge (lower hull), now partially embedded in the shoreline, and a large section of the port side of the hull. The site is intermittently buried and unburied by shifting sands in 1 to 8 feet of water. Access to this site is from the water only in shallow-draft vessels, as the shoreline adjacent to the wreck is private property.