Alvin Clark (schooner)
Alvin Clark (schooner) | |
Formerly listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
Location | 6th Ave., Menominee, Michigan |
---|---|
Coordinates | 45°6′15″N 87°37′13″W / 45.10417°N 87.62028°W |
Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
Built | 1846 or 1847 |
Architectural style | Square stern schooner |
Demolished | 1994 |
NRHP reference No. | 74000996 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | 1974 |
Removed from NRHP | June 10, 2020[1] |
Alvin Clark was a schooner that sailed the Great Lakes for almost two decades. Constructed in 1846 or 1847, it sank during a storm in Green Bay in 1864. It was salvaged in 1969 and moored in Menominee, Michigan, at the Mystery Ship Seaport, located in the Menominee River at the foot of Sixth Avenue. The ship was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1972 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974; Alvin Clark was removed from the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 2020.[1] Although the schooner was in pristine condition when raised, no plans were in place for its conservation, and the ship rapidly deteriorated. The remains of Alvin Clark were destroyed in 1994.
Description
Alvin Clark was a
Construction and operation
Alvin Clark was built at the Bates and Davis Shipyard in Trenton, Michigan,[4] in 1846 or 1847,[2][5] likely by shipmaker John Clark, who had a son named Alvin.[3] Clark, the original owner, used the Alvin Clark for shipping salt until he sold it in 1852.[6] The second owner of the ship was Captain William M. Higgie of Racine, Wisconsin. The schooner spent the rest of its years shipping lumber to Chicago.[7] On June 19, 1864, the ship was heading through Lake Michigan to Oconto, Wisconsin, to pick up a load of lumber, running empty under full sail.[2] As it entered Green Bay, Captain Dunnin ordered the holds cleaned, and the hatches were removed.[4] A sudden storm capsized the ship just off the shore of Chambers Island in Green Bay.[2] Captain Dunnin, the mate, and another sailor were drowned; two other sailors were rescued.[4] An attempt to salvage the ship was made a few months after the wreck, but it was unsuccessful and the Alvin Clark was left on the lakebed.[5]
Salvage
In 1967,
Deterioration and demolition
Freed from the cold and low-oxygen waters at the bottom of the bay, Alvin Clark immediately started to deteriorate. Proceeds from the museum did not pay off Hoffman's incurred debt of $300,000, much less provide restoration funds.[11] The ship eventually deteriorated beyond restoration. In 1985, an intoxicated Hoffman attempted to burn with kerosene what was left of the ship, but he was arrested and sentenced to a week in prison and a year of probation.[14][15] In 1987, he sold the ship, now a hulk, to a group of local investors for $117,000.[11] The investors moved and stabilized the ship,[11] but they were not able to adequately preserve it.[2] The ship was eventually found to be beyond saving and was declared a public hazard.[16] In 1994, the Mystery Ship Seaport and the remains of the Alvin Clark were demolished to make way for a parking lot.[14]
Citations
- ^ a b "Weekly List 20200612". National Park Service. Retrieved June 12, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rhude, Andreas Jordahl. "The Mystery Ship – Tale of the Alvin Clark Tragedy". Land-o-Lakes Classic Boat Service. Bob Speltz Land-O-Lakes. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ a b c d Diane B. Abbott; Charles K. Hyde (1978), The Upper peninsula of Michigan : an inventory of historic engineering and industrial sites, Historic American Engineering Record, Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, pp. 122–123
- ^ a b c Van Harpen 2006, p. 85.
- ^ a b "Alvin Clark (1864)". Wisconsin Shipwrecks. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Boyd, Dr. Richard (Fall 2018). "Salvaging the Alvin Clark: A Project Before Its Time" (PDF). The Anchor – Wisconsin Maritime Museum.
- ^ Mierzejewski 2012, p. 54.
- ^ Bob O'Donnell (July–September 1994). "Remains of Schooner Alvin Clark Demolished This Summer" (PDF). Wisconsin Underwater Heritage. 4 (4).
- ^ Karamanski 2000, p. 218.
- ^ Van Harpen 2006, p. 88.
- ^ a b c d e f A.A. Dornfeld (November 15, 1987). "A Risen Ship Scuttles Its Savior". Chicago Tribune.
- ^ a b c Karamanski 2000, p. 219.
- ^ Gardner, Don (May 11, 2013). "Shipwrecks and history preserved through legislation". Royal Oak Tribune. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ a b Karamanski 2000, p. 221.
- Sun Sentinel. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- ^ Van Harpen 2006, p. 89.
References
- Karamanski, Theodore J. (2000). Schooner passage: sailing ships and the Lake Michigan frontier. ISBN 0-8143-2911-X.
- Van Harpen, Jon Paul (2006). Door Peninsula Shipwrecks. ISBN 0-7385-4014-5.
- Mierzejewski, Linda (2012). Trenton. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-9350-0.
Further reading
- Bree, Marlin (2012). Broken Seas: True Tales of Extraordinary Seafaring Adventures. Marlor Press. ISBN 978-1-892147-09-7.