The wooden schooner Matthew McNair was built in 1857 by John Lee and Peter Lamoree at Oswego, New York. Her official registry number was 16407. The vessel was 110 feet long with a beam of 25.1 feet and a depth of 10 feet. Carrying capacity was 12,000 bushels. In 1861 the McNair was valued at $7,000 and rated A2 by the Board of Lake Underwriters with the notation: "Flat, has bilge pumps and timbers". On June 1st of 1863 she was involved in a collision with the tug Continental near Chicago.
"The schooner Matthew McNair, laden with telegraph poles, broke away from Horn's Pier (Clay Banks) and lies upon the beach a total wreck." MS 10/1/1872