Bound for Oswego, NY, the Saint James left Toledo, OH on October 23, 1870 and was never seen again. No one is certain the circumstances or even the exact date she was lost, but one theory is that she encountered a late October storm. The only thing that is for certain, is that the Saint James sank with 14,000 bushels of wheat in her holds.
This wreck was once known as Schooner “X”, until divers uncoverd enough evidence to identify her as the Saint James. Today, she lies upright in 165 feet of water, as perfectly preserved as any Great Lakes shipwreck. Both her masts stand nearly 80 feet off the bottom, both anchors are still in place, as are the bow sprit complete with scroll figurehead, windlass, capstan, bilge pumps and the ship’s wheel. Even the cabin is largely intact.
This site boasts visibility that normally exceeds 40 feet, but bottom temperatures seldom exceed 42 degrees.