The three-masted barque Cecelia was orginally constructed in 1868 in White Lake, Michigan, likely by John Gregory. At 118.2 feet in length and 25.7 feet in width, with a cargo depth of 8.4 feet, the i>Cecelia could carry roughly 176 tons of cargo. An article published by the Chicago Tribune on August 29, 1868, made the following statement: "A substantially constructed new vessel, named the Cecelia made our harbor yesterday, on her maiden trip." The Cecelia was enrolled two weeks later, on September 16, with James Larsen of Chicago listed as owner and captain.

Little has been found on the regular service of the Cecelia, however, accidents the vessel was involved in can be identified in newspaper clippings. On October 1, 1869, the Cecelia went aground at Manistee and was successfully liberated soon after. Then, in May of 1871, the ship collided with a bridge in Chicago, losing its mizzenmast and outfit. The revenue cutter Andrew Johnson rescued the Cecelia when it stranded on the south end of Manitou Island in October 1872. The night of September 13, 1873, the Cecelia was loaded with wheat when it collided with the schooner Oriental two miles southwest of Point au Pelee, Ontario. The Cecelia sank in roughly 42 feet of water but was raised and ultimately towed into the Detroit drydock within 48 hours of the accident. Repairs were performed and the Cecelia was able to return to service.

In the evening of September 14, 1876, the Cecelia had just finished loading staves at Wheatley's dock in Point au Pelee when a storm kicked up. The ship cast its anchors and was thrown against the dock by the wind and sustaining damage that included the bulwarks and cabin. To prevent further damage, the Cecelia was scuttled in nine feet of water. The following day, repairs were made to the Cecelia while it lay underwater, still loaded with its cargo. The Cecelia was towed ashore to Wheatley's dock by the tug Geo A. Parker on September 18, and repairs were made that week by then-owner William Johnson of Chicago.

The original rigging was changed to a three-masted schooner in 1879.
On September 8, 1885, the schooner Cecelia was at Reynold's pier at Jacksonport, Wisconsin loading wood. Because of a prevailing storm, it moved offshore and anchored to weather out the storm. The anchors dragged and the vessel was thrown onto the beach on the south side of Reynold's pier.

A September 17, 1885, issue of the Door County Advocate reported as follows: "Capt. B. Smith, one of the owners of the schooner Cecelia wrecked at Jacksonport, went to Chicago on Friday and returned today (Wednesday) for the purpose of removing everything of value from the vessel and conveying it to Chicago. He says he has tried to get a wrecking outfit to go to the Cecelia from Chicago and Milwaukee for the purpose of getting her off, but no one would undertake the job for much less than the vessel's worth. Captain Smith has not yet decided whether he will purchase another vessel or not, but it is quite certain that nothing will be done toward releasing the Cecelia."

A week later, it was further reported the wreckage of the Cecelia lies in approximately ten feet of water. Its bow was positioned under the pier. An attempt was made to salvage the schooner's masts by cutting them away. The enrollment papers were surrendered in Chicago on November 13, 1885, with the cause of surrender listed as "vessel wrecked."
The wreck of the Cecelia lies in six feet of water on the south side of Reynold's Pier, approximately 580-600 feet offshore from the park at Jacksonport, Wisconsin. The remains currently lie intermingled with the remainers of another schooner, Perry Hannah; it is difficult to distinguish the vessels from one another. Shifting sands expose and cover different parts of the wrecks. Both vessels' hulls have broken at the turn of the bilge.