A. P. Dutton was a two-masted, wooden schooner captained by Joseph McClean of Chicago.

When it left the Chicago port, seas were reported as calm and the wind was blowing gently from the Southwest. But, as so many times with Lake Michigan, a gale came up and was blowing out of the Northwest. Seas became extremely rough on the St. Joseph side of the lake. The Northwestern continued to blow for 30 days.

One of the shipmates was from the St. Joseph area. His name was James Campbell. He with the captain and two other sailors, names unknown, were all lost at sea.

On board were desks and school house furniture for Brittain Avenue School House.

As of this writing, 2009, nothing has ever been found of her.