The Arab was a schooner built in 1854 for trade between Buffalo, New York, and Milan, Ohio. It was launched from Laveaya's shipyard in Buffalo under ownership of Jason Parker, Erastus Scoville, R.R. Brown, and J. Stevens. It had a few accidents in its first few years of service. In April 1859, the Arab was carrying lumber from Detroit when it went aground on the Gull Island Reef in Lake Michigan. In the process, it lost its rudder and big anchor. The schooner was able to get off of the reef and continue on its way. According to the April 25, 1859, Buffalo Daily Republic, the Arab was "for two hours in sight of the harbor, with a signal of distress flying, but none of the masters of tugs took any notice of her." Finally, when nearly aground of the breakwater, the propellor Pittsburg, commanded by Captain Beckwith, came along and towed the Arab into port.

In 1863, the Arab, along with the schooner Transport and the brig Blair, were sold by the Billings & Dickinson Ship Brokers to parties in Chicago. Other than a few minor accidents throughout the 1860s and 1870s, the service of the Arab was relatively uneventful.
The Arab was bound from Starkey Pier, near Frankfort, for Milwaukee with lumber in October 1883, when it became stranded at St. Joseph, Michigan. Captain Charles Starkey and the other men aboard landed safely. In the process, the schooner lost its centerboard and part of the deck load, and the rudder was disabled. The tug Protection released the Arab and took it under tow the following week. However, on the return journey to Milwaukee, the Protection dragged anchor and capsized offshore between Racine and Kenosha on November 11. It was reported that all the crew was saved except for two men: the Protection's pump engineer and a fireman assisting in rescue efforts. Another source reported the captain of the Arab became crushed by the vessel's steam engine.

The value of the Arab and its cargo was $4,000, with insurance coverage of $2,000. It had been in service for 29 years before its final enrollment documents were surrendered.
The wreck of the Arab was reportedly located in 1981 and recorded in Jerry Guyer's Shipwreck Charts. It lies in 35 feet of water, having drifted approximately 3.5 miles north of the Kenosha harbor. This identification is tentative. The exact location and condition of the remains have not yet been investigated further.