AH-WR-1933

Persian

Schooner · Lost 1868 · Thunder Bay & Lake Huron

Struck by a passing schooner off Presque Isle in 1868, the wheat-laden Persian sank with all hands and was not seen again until 1991.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

James Baker built the schooner Persian at Oswego, New York, in 1855. On September 16, 1868, bound from Chicago to Oswego with wheat, she was rounding Presque Isle when the schooner E.B. Allen tried to pass and struck her starboard quarter. The Allen's captain saw Persian head for shore and sailed on to Chicago. Persian sank quickly with all hands; sport divers found her in 1991 in 168 feet of water.

Vessel

Built: 1855
Builder: James Baker
Yard: Oswego, New York
Material: Wood
Length: 128 ft
Beam: 26 ft
Tonnage: 345 gross tons
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: September 16, 1868
Cause: Collision
Location: Lake Huron about four miles north of Presque Isle, Michigan
Water: Lake Huron
Voyage: Chicago, Illinois → Oswego, New York
Cargo: Wheat
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Lost with all hands; number aboard not stated.
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 168 ft
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: 1991
Protection: Within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Position

Coordinates: 45.70° N 84.15° W
Accuracy: Approximate position
Nearest: Presque Isle, Michigan
Region: Thunder Bay & Lake Huron

Sanctuary-published site position (mooring/GPS listing); displayed rounded.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)

The number lost is not established in the source reviewed.

NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary — Shipwrecks: Persian
Specification table and complete description read; underlying archival records not independently inspected.