A schooner is a sailing vessel with at least 2 masts. The second, or main mast, is as tall or taller than any of the other masts and carries the largest sail. Sails are rigged fore and aft (front and rear) or bow to stern rather than across the beam as are “square riggers”. Schooners are easily handled by a small crew, can readily sail up wind and can handle frequent changes in wind direction, all necessary for sailing on the Great Lakes.

A schooner is a sailing vessel with at least 2 masts. The second, or main mast, is as tall or taller than any of the other masts and carries the largest sail. Sails are rigged fore and aft (front and rear) or bow to stern rather than across the beam as are “square riggers”. Schooners are easily handled by a small crew, can readily sail up wind and can handle frequent changes in wind direction, all necessary for sailing on the Great Lake.

The original Madeline was built in Fairport, Ohio in the winter of 1844-45 for owners at Mackinac Island. In the summer of 1847 she saw service as a government lightship stationed in the Straits of Mackinac.

The story of the original Madeline is special to the residents of the Grand Traverse area because, for the winter of 1851-52, Madeline served as the first non-Indian school in the region. The Captain and his crew of four young men realized they needed some “book learning” to become successful, so they decided to devote the winter months, when the lakes were frozen, to further their education. They took Madeline to secluded Bowers Harbor north of Traverse City on the Old Mission Peninsula. They hired 17 year old Steve Wait as their teacher and spent the winter learning reading, writing, and arithmetic in the mornings and cutting firewood, doing other chores, and having snowball fights in the afternoons.

The school must have been a success, as all of the young men went on to successful careers on the Great Lakes. The Captain and his brothers were named Fitzgerald. One of their grandchildren headed an insurance company which named and owned another famous boat: The steamer, Edmond Fitzgerald.

Madeline went to Milwaukee in 1862 where she operated for several years. Subsequently she ended her days settling quietly in the mud of a Milwaukee river.