On this day August 28, 1867, the three masted schooner R. P. MASON was launched by Harrison C. Pierson at Ferrysburg, Mich.  Built for John H. Skeele of Kenosha, Wis., and the lumber trade on Lake Michigan, she measured 116.8 feet in length, 25.8 feet in beam and was named for an early settler of Michigan, Rufus Putnam Mason.  Mason had many accomplishments during his life, some being a store owner, part owner of a saw mill that was later turned into a grist mill for making flour, building the first regular school house, town clerk and Justice of the Peace, just to name a few.

     R. P. MASON dated 1913 at Depere

            The MASON had several mishaps during her career including being considered a total loss twice before her actual end in 1917. 

In October 1871, she had run ashore at Waugoschance in Lake Michigan.  The wrecking tug LEVIATHAN had worked hard and finally succeeded in getting her off.  During a storm the next morning, her towline got caught up in the LEVIATHAN’s wheels and the MASON was cut loose.  Not good as the MASON was disabled with an eight foot square hole in her bottom.  The MASON rolled over on her beam ends throwing off her crew and a steam pump.  Five men were lost:  Capt. Thomas Dahle; Martin Hanson; and two men known as Hans and Louis, of the schooner MASON, and William Beede, a fireman on the LEVIATHAN.  Four men were rescued:  Joseph Anderson, mate; Samuel Morris, steward; and S. A. Peterson, seaman, of the MASON; and William Clute, second engineer of the LEVIATHAN. 

The MASON had drifted ashore between Cross Village and Little Traverse Bay and was surely going to pieces, after all, her stern was gone, her side crushed in, her masts were gone and her deck broken up.  Not so.  She was repaired and sailed on.

            In May 1905 she was driven ashore near Marinette and broke her back.  Once again she was released and repaired, sailing in 1906 as a barge. 

            She was a hard worker for her 50 year career.  

On June 20, 1917, the MASON burned to the waterline and sank in Green Bay.   The MASON had been docked and loading equipment to cut lumber when a fire broke out in the Seavey Mill.   The fire spread through the buildings down the pier and onto the schooner.   The MASON, while ablaze, drifted away from the pier and finally sank.   She had a crew of three on board at the time and fortunately no lives were lost.

Suzette Lopez

Photo Credit:  Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.