AH-WR-1768

Abiah

Schooner · United States · Lost September 1854; capsized September 4, sank later during attempted towing · Chicago & Southern Lake Michigan

Abiah capsized in a September 1854 squall and sank during attempted towing; its wooden hull survives deep off Sheboygan.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Abiah was built at Irving, New York, in 1847 as a two-masted schooner for Israel Thompson Hatch. She carried lumber, salt and crops, and in 1850 transported early Milwaukee & Waukesha Railroad equipment to Milwaukee. On September 4, 1854, she capsized in a squall while sailing from Chicago to Oconto. Seven crew and two passengers escaped and were rescued by Lewis Ludington. Eclipse attempted to tow the overturned hull toward Sheboygan, but further damage ended in its sinking. Steve Radovan discovered the surviving hull in 220 feet of water in 2019.

Vessel

Built: 1847
Builder: Charles Stevens
Yard: Irving, New York
Material: Wood
Length: 134 ft
Beam: 27.17 ft
Tonnage: 353.41 gross tons
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Israel Thompson Hatch; Tarleton Jones (1854)

Loss

Date: September 1854; capsized September 4, sank later during attempted towing
Cause: Storm
Location: Lake Michigan, within fifteen miles of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, during attempted towing
Water: Lake Michigan
Voyage: Chicago, Illinois → Oconto, Wisconsin
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: 9
Lives lost: 0
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 220 ft
Condition: Substantially intact hull with part of port-side planking missing; intact bow, foremast across starboard railing, stove and kitchenware visible amid silt.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 2019
Protection: National Register of Historic Places listed (institutional entry)

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Region: Chicago & Southern Lake Michigan

Evidence

Overall confidence: Well documented (90/100)

No numerical wreck position is provided by the reviewed institutional entry; exact final sinking day and military-service history are not established.

Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Sea Grant — Wisconsin Shipwrecks
1847 construction, builder, wood two-mast rig, dimensions, ownership and railroad cargo service; September 4, 1854 capsize, nine rescued, later completed sinking during tow distinct from capsize date; 2019 discovery, 2019 survey, 2020 ROV work, 220-foot depth, condition and National Register listing.