1841 — Oct 23?, schooner Post Boy lost (powder explos.?/gale?), Lake MI, 15m no. of Kalamazoo-~10

— 13 Buffalo Republic, NY. “Vessels Wrecked on Lake Michigan.” 2-9-1848; in McNeil.
–10-12 Milwaukie Sentinel & Wisconsin Farmer, WI. “Wreck.” 11-6-1841, p. 2, col. 5.
— 8-10 Augusta Daily Chronicle and Sentinel, GA. “Wrecks.” 11-13-1841, p. 2, col. 4.
— 9-10 Detroit Free Press. “The Loss of the Schooner Post Boy.” 12-1-1841; transcribed by McNeil.
— 10 Mansfield, John Brandts (Editor). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 687.
— 10 Shelak, Benjamin J. Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan. 2003, p. 118.
— 10 Swayze, David D. Shipwreck!…Directory…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p.192.
— 8 McNeil. “Post Boy (Schooner), aground, 23 Oct 1841.” Maritime History of the Great Lakes.

Narrative Information

Mansfield: “Loss of the Post Boy. – The schooner Post Boy with ten persons, including passengers and crew, was lost with all on board, in Lake Michigan, in October, 1841. She had left Chicago, where a keg of powder was shipped, and it is supposed must have exploded. The victims of this disaster were all citizens of Michigan.” (Mansfield, John Brandts (Editor). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). 1899, p. 687.)

Shelak: “Another incident involved the twin-masted schooner Post Boy. Carrying a load of gunpowder, the Post Boy disintegrated after an explosion at Buffington Harbor in 1841. The event claimed the lives of ten men.” (Shelak, Benjamin J. Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan. 2003, p. 118.)

Swayze: “Post Boy. Package freight schooner. Lake Michigan: The schooner Post Boy was victim of her own volatile cargo in 1841. She was at Buffington Harbor, near the south end of the lake, when her cargo of general merchandise and kegs of gunpowder exploded and the vessel was destroyed. Ten lives were lost in this violent accident.” (Swayze, David D. Shipwreck! …Directory…Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. 1992, p. 192.)

Newspaper

Nov 3: “Wreck. – The Chicago Democrat of the 3d [Nov] says: — We regret to learn that the schooner Post Boy was lately wrecked off the Michigan shore, 15 miles north of Kalamazoo. There were 10-12 persons on board, all of whom, it is feared, were lost.” (Milwaukie Sentinel & Wisconsin Farmer, WI. “Wreck.” 11-6-1841, p. 2, col. 5.)

Nov 3: “Correspondence of the Grand Rapids Enquirer, Grand Haven, Nov. 3, 1841.

“I wish, through your paper, to acquaint those interested, if any there be within your circulation, of the fate of some of the vessels upon this Lake, during the gale of date about 23d October.

“A report has been in circulation here for some days, that the schooner Post Boy, from Chicago to Muskegon, was lost. To-day it is confirmed by the arrival of men from St. Joseph, coming for the purpose of finding the wreck. They found fragments of her scattered upon the beach in different places, between Kalamazoo and this river, together with a part of her freight. She, doubtless, was broken in pieces by the sea, and all on board perished! These men report Augustus Pennoyer and brother, of Muskegon, (brothers of Henry Pennoyer,) and two gentlemen of this river, passengers. As it regards the passengers, it may be mere conjecture….Yours, T. W. W.” (Detroit Free Press, Wednesday, November 17, 1841; transcribed by William R. McNeil in Maritime History of the Great Lakes (webpage).

Nov 13 (late report): “We are pained to learn that the schooner Post Boy, which recently left this port [Chicago], was lost about fifteen miles north of Kalamazoo. Fragments of the vessel were strewn along the beach for miles in either direction, and the small boat was found in two pieces. The schooner’s figure head has ben brought to this city. The crew consisted of some eight or ten persons, and as mothering has been heard of them it can scarcely be doubted that they have perished. They were all citizens, we believe, of Michigan. – Chicago American.” (Augusta Daily Chronicle and Sentinel, GA. “Wrecks.” 11-13-1841, p. 2, col. 4.)

Dec 1: “It is now ascertained that the Post Boy which lost on the Lake about the 23d October, had on board when she left Chicago, nine or ten persons, including seamen and passengers, not one of whom was saved. A keg of powder was shipped at Chicago and it is supposed it must have exploded, breaking the schooner in pieces while at sea. Grand Rapids Enq.” (Detroit Free Press. “The Loss of the Schooner Post Boy.” 12-1-1841; transcribed by William R. McNeil in Maritime History of the Great Lakes (webpage).)

Sources

Augusta Daily Chronicle and Sentinel, GA. “Wrecks.” 11-13-1841, p. 2, col. 4. Accessed 1-8-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/augusta-daily-chronicle-and-sentinel-nov-13-1841-p-2/

Mansfield, John Brandts (Ed. and Compiler). History of the Great Lakes (Vol. 1). Chicago: J.H. Beers & Co., 1899. Google digitized. Accessed 1-7-2021 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=iHXhAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

McNeil, William R. “Post Boy (Schooner), aground, 23 Oct 1841.” Maritime History of the Great Lakes. Accessed 1-8-2021 at: https://images.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/51038/data?n=6

Milwaukie Sentinel & Wisconsin Farmer, WI. “Wreck.” 11-6-1841, p. 2, col. 5. Accessed 1-7-2021. Accessed 1-7-2021 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/milwaukie-sentinel-and-wisconsin-farmer-nov-06-1841-p-2/

Shelak, Benjamin J. Shipwrecks of Lake Michigan. Big Earth Publishing, 2003. Partially digitized by Google. Accessed at: http://books.google.com/books?id=4CBCcye0n6IC

Swayze, David D. Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Boyne City, MI: Harbor House Publications, Inc., 1992.