Pultneyville in Wayne County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Wreck of the St. Peter

National Register of Historic Places

Wreck of the <i>St. Peter</i> Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, October 21, 2023

1. Wreck of the St. Peter Marker

Inscription.

Wreck of the St. Peter. National Register of Historic Places. , Lost in a Storm , The St. Peter left Oswego carrying a full load of coal, headed for the safety of the Welland Canal when a storm struck her with 70 mph winds. Unable to reach the canal, the ship was turned back east to run before the wind, but the crew’s fight during 12 long hours of darkness, 20-foot high seas, gale-force winds, and freezing sleet was in vain. The ship, crew, and the Captain's wife were lost. The Captain was rescued by a boat from the local Lifesaving Service. , Three-masted Schooner , The St. Peter was a wooden hulled, schooner with three masts, built in 1873 by Edwards in Toledo, Ohio. She was 136' long, 26' wide, and 12’ deep, with a gross weight of 290 tons. She was lost 5 miles NW of Sodus, NY on October ,27, 1898. Eight people were lost, including the crew and the Captain's wife. , St. Peter Afloat , The historic photo below shows the St. Peter being towed into harbor by a tug. After she sank, the masts still protruded from the water, but were later dropped to prevent hazards to navigation. The St. Peter, a 136-foot, three-masted schooner rests upright and intact in 117 feet of water. A good portion of her remains were recovered in 1971 and now form the basis of a museum at the Pultneyville Historical Society. The Wreck has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lifesavers from Sodus Point made it to within a mile of the ship before she sank. They were able to rescue only one. , Ships like the St. Peter were employed to carry coal and other bulk items between Great Lakes ports. The upright deck of the St. Peter is shown in the photo above, and a diver floats in front of her bow, right. ,

Dive Site Information , Location: East of Pultneyville, NY , Access: Boat Only , Depth: 117 feet , Visibility: 20 to 100 feet. Average 45 feet. , Temperature: 40 to 73 degrees F. , Skill Level: Advanced open water diver. , Bottom: Flat and silty. , Hazards: Lake Ontario weather is unpredictable and can change very rapidly from good to severe. Weather conditions and unexpected weather changes should be a constant consideration. Strong currents may be present if seas are running 3 feet or higher.

Lost in a Storm
The St. Peter left Oswego carrying a full load of coal, headed for the safety of the Welland Canal when a storm struck her with 70 mph winds. Unable to reach the canal, the ship was turned back east to run before the wind, but the crew’s fight during 12 long hours of darkness, 20-foot high seas, gale-force winds, and freezing sleet was in vain. The ship, crew, and the Captain's wife were lost. The Captain was rescued by a boat from the local Lifesaving Service.

Three-masted Schooner
The St. Peter was a wooden hulled, schooner with three masts, built in 1873 by Edwards in Toledo, Ohio. She was 136' long, 26' wide, and 12’ deep, with a gross weight of 290 tons. She was lost 5 miles NW of Sodus, NY on October ,27, 1898. Eight people were lost, including the crew and the Captain's wife.

St. Peter Afloat
The historic photo below shows the St. Peter being towed into harbor by a tug. After she sank, the masts still protruded from the water, but were later dropped to prevent hazards to navigation. The St. Peter, a 136-foot, three-masted schooner rests upright and intact in 117 feet of water. A good portion of her remains were recovered in 1971 and now form the basis of a museum at the Pultneyville Historical Society. The Wreck

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has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Lifesavers from Sodus Point made it to within a mile of the ship before she sank. They were able to rescue only one.
Ships like the St. Peter were employed to carry coal and other bulk items between Great Lakes ports. The upright deck of the St. Peter is shown in the photo above, and a diver floats in front of her bow, right.

Dive Site Information
Location: East of Pultneyville, NY
Access: Boat Only
Depth: 117 feet
Visibility: 20 to 100 feet. Average 45 feet.
Temperature: 40 to 73 degrees F.
Skill Level: Advanced open water diver.
Bottom: Flat and silty.
Hazards: Lake Ontario weather is unpredictable and can change very rapidly from good to severe. Weather conditions and unexpected weather changes should be a constant consideration. Strong currents may be present if seas are running 3 feet or higher.

Erected by Seaway Trail Inc.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Great Lakes Seaway Trail National Scenic Byway, and the Lost at Sea series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is October 27, 1898.

Location. 43° 16.876′ N, 77°

Photographed by Yugoboy, March 24, 2013

2. Wreck of the St. Peter Marker

10.172′ W. Marker is in Pultneyville, New York, in Wayne County. It can be reached from Foreman Park 0.1 miles north of Lake Road. Marker is within B. Foreman Park. It is just off the northwest corner of the parking lot. It is one of 3 markers clustered together. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Williamson NY 14589, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Western New York,

in the Finger Lakes,

and in the Rochester Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (here, next to this marker); Underground Railroad Terminus (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Pultneyville Historic District (approx. 0.7 miles away); First White Men (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Battle of Pultneyville (approx. 0.7 miles away); Lake Captains of Pultneyville Memorial (approx. 0.7 miles away); From the Nearby Ravine (approx. 0.7 miles away); a different marker also named Pultneyville Historic District (approx. 0.8 miles away).

More about this marker. Picture on the marker is in error and should be removed instead of forwarding a falsehood.

Regarding Wreck of the St. Peter. The ship depicted being towed in to Oswego harbor is NOT the St. Peter. It was wrongly identified as such by a newspaper writer in Oswego who never verified the postcard picture (from 1906 no less!)

To this date

Photographed by Steve Stoessel, October 21, 2023

3. Wreck of the St. Peter Marker

(2026) there is no picture of the St. Peter afloat.

Verification-- I was the diver that discovered the existence of "a shipwreck" off Fairbanks Point in Lake Ontario in 1968 and led the three year search for her and led the dive team that dove, documented and recovered the artifacts for some 15 years. No one knows her better after hundreds of dives.

Additional keywords. Wreck of the St. Peter | Wreck of the St. Peter

Entrance to B. Foreman Park as seen driving West on Lake Rd. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Yugoboy, March 24, 2013

4. Entrance to B. Foreman Park as seen driving West on Lake Rd.

Entrance to B. Foreman Park as seen driving East on Lake Rd. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Yugoboy, March 24, 2013

5. Entrance to B. Foreman Park as seen driving East on Lake Rd.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2013, by Yugoboy of Rochester, New York. This page has been viewed 1,315 times since then and 84 times this year. Last updated on March 30, 2026. Photos: 1. submitted on October 22, 2023, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. 2. submitted on April 30, 2013, by Yugoboy of Rochester, New York. 3. submitted on October 22, 2023, by Steve Stoessel of Niskayuna, New York. 4, 5. submitted on April 30, 2013, by Yugoboy of Rochester, New York. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.