Thursday, October 25, 2012

Erie Board of Trade, A Ghost Ship in Saginaw Bay, Michigan

This story takes us back to 1883 when the three masted schooner, the Erie Board of Trade made it's way to Cleveland to pick up a load of coal. It would be it's last voyage, at least of this world anyway.


The schooner Erie Board of Trade went down in Saginaw Bay, Michigan in 1883.  Many believe the ghost ship can be seen in the same area to this day.
The schooner Erie Board of Trade went down in Saginaw Bay, Michigan in 1883.  Many believe the ghost ship can be seen in the same area to this day.

A few days out from Cleveland, in Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron, the Erie Board of Trade had to anchor because the winds had died out.  The Captain set the crew busy cleaning and making repairs to the ship.  He ordered a fairly new young crewman to scrape the topmasts.  All of the crew had known that the rope to the boatswain's chair was rather ragged and was dangerous to use.  However, the Captain sent the crewman up the mast in the chair anyway.  Not long after he reached the top, the rope broke and the crewman came crashing down to the deck along with the chair and rigging.  He remained alive long enough only to curse the captain of the Erie Board of Trade. 

On the remaining three days of the voyage, the crew claimed to have been haunted by the ghost of the dead crewman who tumbled to his death.  Uttering his curse over and over.  Appearing as a white form, materializing on deck and then settling on the spot where the unfortunate crewman had died.

The ship made port, many crew had enough of the hauntings and left the ship.  However, the captain remained and The Erie Board of Trade took on it's load of coal and headed back out into Lake Huron.  The ship was never seen again.


Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron in Michigan is the haunting ground of the ghost ship Erie Board of Trade
Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron in Michigan is the haunting ground of the ghost ship Erie Board of Trade

Over the years, there have many reports of a dark ominous looking three masted schooner out on Saginaw Bay.  Just as quickly as the ship appears, it disappears.  It is believed that this is the ghost ship Erie Board of Trade.


 

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