page_title: Dog Island (Florida)
section_title: 19th century
hierarchical_section_title: Dog Island (Florida) / History / 19th century
caption_attribution_description: English: Dog Island hurricane wrecks
context_page_description: Dog Island is located in the northwestern Florida Gulf coast just 3.5 mi off-shore from Carrabelle in Franklin County, Florida. There is no public transportation to or businesses on Dog Island.
context_section_description: As part of the United States, economic shipping greatly increased as St. Marks, St. Joseph, and Apalachicola became major ports on the Gulf Coast. Both sail and steam ships traveled to Dog Island to exploit its resources of lumber and naval stores, such as turpentine and pitch products. In 1838, Dog Island Light was built on the western tip of the island.
  During the Civil War, Dog Island was used by the Union Navy as a base for staging the blockade of Apalachicola.
  In 1899, the 2nd hurricane of the season struck the area, almost destroying the town of Carrabelle, leaving just nine homes. Roughly 6 miles inland at McIntyre, only two mill boilers were left. The summer resort of Lanark Inn was said to be "blown into the Gulf". The Carrabelle, Tallahassee and Georgia Railroad was destroyed for a distance of 30 miles, and a locomotive was displaced some 100 yards off the track.
  Fifteen ships were destroyed, 12 loaded with lumber. They were:
  American ships
  James A. Garfield, a schooner, under the command of Capt. Cottingham.
  Mary E. Morse a schooner, under the command of Capt. Densmore.
  Benjamin C. Cromwell, a schooner under the command of Capt. McClean.
  Grace Andrews, a schooner under the command of Capt. Brown.
  Warren Adams, a schooner under the command of Capt. Gibbons
  Vidette, a barkentine under the command of Capt. Waldren.
  Capitola, a steamship
  Iola, a steamship
  Albert Haley, a fishing smack.
  Norwegian ships
  Ranavola, bark under the command of Capt. Edwardson.
  Vale, a bark, under the command of Capt. Andersen (this shipwreck has been identified by archaeologists).
  Elsbeth, a bark under the command of Capt. Pedersen.
  Jafnhar, a bark under the command of Capt. Tygensen.
  Hindoo, a bark under the command of Capt. Madsen.
  Russian ships:
  Latara, a bark under the command of Capt. Krantman
  Italian ships
  Corteria, a bark which was split in half
  Another 40 ships under 20 tons were sunk or destroyed.
caption: Photo of Dog Island hurricane shipwrecks, 1899
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