Since the 19th century, there have been several losses in both the Minnesota (north shore) and the Wisconsin (south shore) portion of western Lake Superior. Out of the known shipwrecks in the region, 25 of them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [1] [2] [3] This list includes both shipwrecks in Lake Superior and the Saint Louis River.
| Ship | Ship type | Build date | Sunk date | Depth | Notes | Coordinates | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.C. Adams | Wooden tug | 1881 | 1923 | 118 feet (36 m) | Abandoned in circa 1923 near Duluth, Minnesota. Wreck located in 1990. [4] [5] | 46°49.182′N91°59.301′W / 46.819700°N 91.988350°W |  |
| Alice Vivian | Wooden dredge | 1898 | 1975 | Unknown | Abandoned circa 1947 near Duluth, Minnesota. Burned to the waterline by vandals in 1975. Visible from satellite imagery. [6] | 46°43′08″N92°11′24″W / 46.718970°N 92.189885°W |  |
| Amboy | Wooden schooner barge | 1874 | 1905 | Surface | On November 28, 1905 the Amboy and her towing steamer George Spencer were bound from Buffalo, New York for Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of coal. They were eventually caught by the Mataafa Storm and ran aground near Schroeder, Minnesota. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [7] | 47°28′41″N90°59′59″W / 47.478089°N 90.999858°W |  |
| Amethyst/Sophie's Wreck | Wooden tug | 1868 | 1888 | 8 feet (2.4 m) | Wreck of a small wooden tugboat discovered in 2007 near Duluth, Minnesota. Thought to be the remains of the Amethyst, a tug which burned and sank near Duluth, Minnesota in 1888. [8] [9] | 46°45.461′N92°04.411′W / 46.757683°N 92.073517°W |  |
| Belle P. Cross | Wooden steam barge | 1870 | 1903 | 55 feet (17 m) | On April 29, 1903 the Belle P. Cross went aground and went to pieces near Castle Danger, Minnesota. To date only the rudder has been found. [10] [11] | 47°08.45′N91°26.45′W / 47.14083°N 91.44083°W |  |
| Benjamin Noble | Steel canaller | 1909 | 1914 | 375 feet (114 m) | In April 1914 the Benjamin Noble left Ashtabula, Ohio with a load of steel rails bound for Duluth, Minnesota. About the time she passed Devils Island in the Apostle Islands, she ran into a fierce storm and sank with the loss of all hands off Knife River, Minnesota. Wreck located in 2004, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. [12] | 46°56.00′N91°40.00′W / 46.93333°N 91.66667°W |  |
| Charley | Wooden schooner | 1863 | 1881 | Unknown | Sank on May 10, 1881 near Beaver Bay, Minnesota after being driven against the dock. [13] | 47°14.50′N91°18.30′W / 47.24167°N 91.30500°W |  |
| Duluth | Wooden barge | 1872 | 1918 | Unknown | Burned by a forest fire on October 12, 1918, near Duluth, Minnesota. [14] | 46°43′12″N92°08′53″W / 46.719961°N 92.148121°W | |
| Elgin | Wooden schooner | 1874 | 1906 | 20 feet (6.1 m) | Became waterlogged on December 10, 1906. Towed to Grand Marais, Minnesota and abandoned behind the breakwater. [15] | 47°44.49′N90°20.33′W / 47.74150°N 90.33883°W |  |
| Ella G. Stone | Wooden tug | 1881 | 1918 | Unknown | Burned on December 18, 1918 in Duluth, Minnesota. [16] | 46°43.24′N92°09.03′W / 46.72067°N 92.15050°W |  |
| George Herbert | Wooden barge | 1902 | 1905 | Unknown | Ran aground in the Mataafa Storm near Taconite Harbor, Minnesota. [17] [11] | 47°31′29″N90°55′03″W / 47.524625°N 90.917619°W | |
| George Spencer | Wooden bulk freighter | 1884 | 1905 | 20 feet (6.1 m) | On November 28, 1905 the George Spencer and her towing steamer Amboy were bound from Buffalo, New York for Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of coal. They were eventually caught by the Mataafa Storm and ran aground near Schroeder, Minnesota. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [18] | 47°28′40″N90°59′54″W / 47.4779°N 90.9983°W |  |
| Guido Pfister | Wooden schooner | 1873 | 1885 | Unknown | Ran aground on the south pier of the Duluth Ship Canal on October 10, 1885. [19] [20] | 46°46.46′N92°05.24′W / 46.77433°N 92.08733°W |  |
| Harriet B. | Wooden barge | 1895 | 1922 | 656 feet (200 m) | At around 1:00 A.M. on May 3, 1922 the Harriet B. in tow of the steamer C.W. Jacob were loaded with pulpwood and were about 7 miles off Two Harbors, Minnesota, but due to the dense fog, the captain of the Jacob decided not to enter the harbor immediately. At around 4:50 A.M. the freighter Quincy A. Shaw rammed the Harriet B. almost cutting her in two. She sank in about 20 minutes. Wreck located in 2005, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. [11] [21] | 46°58′00″N91°42′00″W / 46.966667°N 91.7°W |  |
| Hesper | Wooden bulk freighter | 1890 | 1905 | 48 feet (15 m) | On May 3, 1905 while on the way to Two Harbors, Minnesota, the Hesper was driven off course, and ran aground on a reef near Silver Bay, Minnesota. A wave eventually lifted her off the reef, and she sank in deeper water and broke up. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [22] [23] | 47°16.17′N91°16.18′W / 47.26950°N 91.26967°W |  |
| John H. Jeffrey Jr. | Wooden tug | 1892 | 1918 | Unknown | Burned at a dock on October 12, 1918 in Duluth, Minnesota. [24] | 46°43′12″N92°09′43″W / 46.719960°N 92.162039°W |  |
| Just For Fun | Ferrocement sailing boat | Unknown | 1999 | 30 feet (9.1 m) | Sank in 1999 near Beaver Bay, Minnesota by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society as an easy dive site for divers. [25] [26] | 47°15.56′N91°17.15′W / 47.25933°N 91.28583°W | |
| Lafayette | Steel bulk freighter | 1900 | 1905 | 30 feet (9.1 m) | On November 28, 1905 the Lafayette and her consort, the Manila were on their way to Two Harbors, Minnesota, when they were struck by the Mataafa Storm. The storm caused them to go aground behind Encampment Island. The Lafayette broke in two when the Manila collided with her. After the storm, the Manila was rescued, but only the stern of the Lafayette was rescued, as her bow had already gone to pieces. [27] [28] [29] | 47°05.695′N91°32.961′W / 47.094917°N 91.549350°W |  |
| Lewie | Wooden schooner | 1884 | 1904 | Unknown | Foundered in a gale on September 2, 1904 near Two Harbors, Minnesota. [30] | 47°00.45′N91°40.20′W / 47.00750°N 91.67000°W | |
| Liberty | Wooden steamer | 1889 | 1919 | 15 feet (4.6 m) | Burned, and became a total loss on July 6, 1919 near Grand Marais, Minnesota. [31] [11] | 47°44.45′N90°20.15′W / 47.74083°N 90.33583°W |  |
| Madeira | Steel barge | 1900 | 1905 | 110 feet (34 m) | On November 28, 1905 the Madeira was being towed towards Duluth, Minnesota by the freighter William Edenborn. At about 3:30 A.M., the captain of the Edenborn decided to cit the Madeira loose. At about 5:30 A.M. the Madeira struck Gold Rock where she sank with the loss of one life. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [32] [33] | 47°12.22′N91°21.29′W / 47.20367°N 91.35483°W |  |
| Mayflower | Wooden scow | 1887 | 1891 | 90 feet (27 m) | On June 2, 1891 the Mayflower was bound for Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of sandstone. While about four miles off Duluth, Minnesota, she capsized with the loss of one life. Wreck located in 1991, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. [34] | 46°48.12′N92°0.40′W / 46.80200°N 92.00667°W | |
| Mentor | Wooden tug | 1868 | 1918 | Unknown | Destroyed by a forest fire in Duluth, Minnesota on October 12, 1918. [35] | 46°43′10″N92°09′25″W / 46.719509°N 92.157008°W |  |
| Niagara | Wooden tug | 1872 | 1904 | 95 feet (29 m) | On June 4, 1904 the Niagara was on her way to Duluth, Minnesota to pick up some construction equipment bound for Lake Huron, when she ran aground on Knife Island near Knife River, Minnesota with no fatalities. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [36] | 46°56.45′N91°46.16′W / 46.94083°N 91.76933°W |  |
| Onoko | Iron bulk freighter | 1882 | 1915 | 220 feet (67 m) | On September 15, 1915 the Onoko departed Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of wheat bound for Toledo, Ohio. When she was sailing off Knife River, Minnesota, she sprang a major leak and sank in about 35 minutes with no fatalities. Wreck located in 1988, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [37] | 46°50.772′N91°46.640′W / 46.846200°N 91.777333°W |  |
| R.F. Goodman | Wooden tug | 1882 | 1898 | Unknown | Burned to the waterline on August 19, 1898 off Lester River. Wreck located in 1976. [38] | 46°51.24′N91°58.00′W / 46.85400°N 91.96667°W |  |
| Robert Wallace | Wooden bulk freighter | 1882 | 1902 | 240 feet (73 m) | On November 17, 1902 the Robert Wallace left Superior, Wisconsin with a cargo of iron ore. When she was about 7 miles off Knife River, Minnesota, the Wallace sprang a leak and eventually sank with no fatalities. Wreck located in 2006, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. [39] [11] | 46°50.50′N91°43.44′W / 46.84167°N 91.72400°W |  |
| Samuel P. Ely | Wooden schooner | 1869 | 1896 | 35 feet (11 m) | On October 30, 1896 while heading to Two Harbors, Minnesota the Ely, her towing steamer the Hesper and another barge, the Negaunee were caught by a storm. When they reached Two Harbors, Minnesota, the towline to the Ely was cast off, and she wedged herself against the breakwater and eventually sank with no fatalities. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [40] [41] | 47°0.42′N91°40.40′W / 47.00700°N 91.67333°W |  |
| Six dredge scows | Wooden scows | Unknown | 1918 | Unknown | Six dredge scows reported to have burned in 1918. [1] | 46°43′04″N92°09′14″W / 46.717863°N 92.153830°W | |
| Stillman Witt | Wooden paddle steamer | 1857 | 1882 | Unknown | Reported to have been burned and abandoned near Park Point in Duluth, Minnesota. [42] | 46°42′41″N92°01′53″W / 46.711392°N 92.031276°W |  |
| Thomas Wilson | Steel whaleback freighter | 1892 | 1902 | 70 feet (21 m) | On June 7, 1902 the Thomas Wilson left Duluth Harbor in Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of iron ore, when she was rammed by the wooden freighter George Hadley. The Wilson rolled over to port, righted herself and sank with the loss of 9 lives. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [43] [44] | 46°47.0′N92°4.10′W / 46.7833°N 92.06833°W |  |
| USS Essex | Wooden steam sloop | 1874 | 1931 | 4 feet (1.2 m) | Abandoned and burned near Duluth, Minnesota in 1931. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [45] | 46°42.46′N92°01.43′W / 46.70767°N 92.02383°W |  |
| Winslow | Wooden steamer | 1863 | 1891 | Unknown | Burned to the waterline on October 3, 1891 in Duluth, Minnesota. [46] | 46°44.03′N92°09.16′W / 46.73383°N 92.15267°W |  |
| Ship | Ship type | Build date | Sunk date | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Booth | Wooden steamer | 1882 | 1887 | Sank near Beaver Bay, Minnesota on July 28, 1887 after having been raised after a previous sinking. [47] | |
| A.F. Bartlett | Wooden tug | 1871 | 1888 | Burned in September 1888 in Duluth, Minnesota. [48] | |
| B.B. Inman | Wooden tug | 1895 | 1929 | Wrecked on Park Point near Duluth, Minnesota in April 1919. [49] [50] |  |
| Bob Anderson | Wooden tug | 1862 | 1899 | Burned near Colvill, Minnesota on August 5, 1899. [51] |  |
| City of Winnipeg | Wooden steamer | 1870 | 1881 | On July 19, 1881 the City of Winnipeg was in Duluth, Minnesota unloading her cargo of whisky and horses when a fire was discovered in wood pocket near her engine room. She eventually burned to the waterline with the loss of 4 lives. In July 1898 she was raised, and scuttled somewhere off Park Point in Lake Superior. [52] |  |
| Comet | Wooden tug | 1881 | 1897 | Burned near Two Harbors, Minnesota on October 12, 1897. [53] | |
| Cormorant | Wooden bulk freighter | 1873 | 1907 | Burned on October 30, 1907 near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Her hull is reported to lie either in Red Cliff, Wisconsin, or more likely near Duluth, Minnesota. [54] [55] |  |
| Criss Grover | Wooden schooner | 1878 | 1899 | Wrecked in fog in October 1899 near Split Rock, Minnesota. [56] |  |
| E.T. Carrington | Wooden tug | 1876 | 1907 | On August 23, 1907 while bound for Duluth, Minnesota from Bayfield, Wisconsin, the E.T. Carrington sank in a storm with no fatalities. [57] |  |
| Fayling | Wooden tug | 1884 | 1947 | Dismantled and scuttled near Duluth, Minnesota in 1947. [58] | |
| F.W. Gillett | Wooden tug | 1869 | 1916 | Abandoned near Two Harbors, Minnesota (some sources state Duluth, Minnesota) in 1916. [59] |  |
| Isle Royale | Wooden steamer | 1879 | 1885 | On July 27, 1885 the Isle Royale struck a reef during a minor storm and developed a leak while sailing near the Susie Islands. She eventually sank with no fatalities. [11] [60] |  |
| Lotta Bernard | Wooden paddle steamer | 1869 | 1874 | On October 29, 1874 the Lotta Bernard was bound from Fort William, Ontario for Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of flour, fish and a horse, when she ran into a powerful blizzard near Castle Danger, Minnesota and sank taking the lives of three of her crew. [61] [62] [11] |  |
| Madeline | Wooden schooner | 1836/1837 | 1838/1839 | Wrecked on Park Point near Duluth, Minnesota in 1838 or 1839. [63] | |
| Mary Martini | Wooden steamer | 1877 | 1885 | On December 3, 1885 the Mary Martini stranded and burned to a total loss southwest of Grand Portage, Minnesota. [64] [11] |  |
| Osprey | Wooden tug | 1890 | 1915 | Burned on April 13, 1915 near Two Harbors, Minnesota. [65] |  |
| Rebel | Wooden tug | 1871 | 1898 | Sank on October 25, 1898 near Knife River, Minnesota. [66] |  |
| Sarah Smith | Wooden tug | 1883 | 1908 | Burned on August 18, 1908 near Duluth, Minnesota due to an overheated boiler. [67] |  |
| Search Light | Wooden steamer | 1884 | 1916 | Abandoned in 1916 near Duluth, Minnesota/Superior, Wisconsin. [68] [50] |  |
| Stranger | Wooden schooner | Circa 1865 | 1875 | Dismasted and sank on December 12, 1875 off Grand Marais, Minnesota with all four of her crew lost. [69] [70] |
| Ship | Ship type | Build date | Sunk date | Depth | Notes | Coordinates | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope | Wooden schooner barge | 1861 | 1897 | 300 feet (91 m) | On October 7, 1897 while under tow of the steamer Hiram W. Sibley with a cargo of coal, she sprang a leak off Michigan Island and sank. Wreck located in 2016, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018. [71] [72] [73] | 46°49.08′N90°27.14′W / 46.81800°N 90.45233°W |  |
| Big Bay Sloop | Wooden sloop | Between 1880 and 1920 | Unknown | 27 feet (8.2 m) | Small unidentified sloop believed to have been built between 1880 and 1920. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. [74] | 46°48.31′N90°38.44′W / 46.80517°N 90.64067°W | |
| Charlotte | Wooden tug | 1912 | 1943 | 6 feet (1.8 m) | Abandoned near Chequamegon Bay in 1943. [75] | 46°47.132′N090°51.323′W / 46.785533°N 90.855383°W | |
| Emerald | Wooden paddle steamer | 1862 | Between 1893 and 1902 | 15 feet (4.6 m) | Abandoned near the Lake Superior District Power Plant in Ashland, Wisconsin between 1893 and 1902. [76] [77] | 46°35.896′N090°52.887′W / 46.598267°N 90.881450°W |  |
| Fedora | Wooden bulk freighter | 1889 | 1901 | 10 feet (3.0 m) | On September 20, 1901 the Fedora bound from Duluth, Minnesota to Ashland, Wisconsin to pick up a load of iron ore. While between Basswood Island and Red Cliff Bay, a kerosene lamp fell in the engine room and started a fire. Eventually, the Fedora was beached near Chicago Creek and burned to the water's edge. [78] | 46°51.602′N090°46.722′W / 46.860033°N 90.778700°W |  |
| Finn McCool | Wooden steam barge | 1926 | 1964 | 20 feet (6.1 m) | Sank at her dock near Bayfield, Wisconsin in 1964 after her pumps failed. [79] | 46°48.370′N090°49.332′W / 46.806167°N 90.822200°W | |
| H.D. Coffinberry | Wooden bulk freighter | 1874 | Between 1912 and 1917 | 6 feet (1.8 m) | Abandoned near Red Cliff, Wisconsin, between 1912 and 1917. [80] | 46°53.008′N090°45.802′W / 46.883467°N 90.763367°W |  |
| Lucerne | Wooden schooner | 1873 | 1886 | 24 feet (7.3 m) | On October 15, 1886 while loaded with iron ore bound from Ashland, Wisconsin for Cleveland, Ohio, the Lucerne was caught in a storm, and decided to head for the safety of Chequamegon Bay. After two or three days after she was last seen, she grounded and sank with the loss of all hands. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. [81] | 46°43.23′N90°46.02′W / 46.72050°N 90.76700°W |  |
| Marquette | Wooden bulk freighter | 1881 | 1903 | 215 feet (66 m) | On October 15, 1903 while hauling iron ore from Ashland, Wisconsin bound for Cleveland, Ohio, she sprang a leak off Michigan Island and sank. Wreck located in 2005, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. [82] | 46°50.02′N90°25.47′W / 46.83367°N 90.42450°W |  |
| M.C. Neff | Wooden steam barge | 1888 | 1909 | 12 feet (3.7 m) | Burned on September 20, 1909 near Oliver, Wisconsin while unloading a cargo of lumber. [83] [84] | 46°39′12″N92°12′08″W / 46.653458°N 92.202340°W |  |
| Moonlight | Wooden schooner barge | 1874 | 1903 | 240 feet (73 m) | On September 13, 1903 while hauling iron ore from Ashland, Wisconsin, the Moonlight sprang a leak and sank off Michigan Island. Wreck located in 2005, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. [73] [85] | 46°49.56′N90°22.42′W / 46.82600°N 90.37367°W |  |
| Noquebay | Wooden schooner barge | 1872 | 1905 | 15 feet (4.6 m) | On October 6, 1905 while hauling lumber from Bayfield, Wisconsin bound for Buffalo, New York, the Noquebay caught fire. Her towing steamer, the Lizzie Madden beached her on Stockton Island where she burned to the waterline. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [86] | 46°55.568′N90°32.717′W / 46.926133°N 90.545283°W |  |
| Ontario | Steel barge | 1891 | 1927 | 450 feet (140 m) | On October 13, 1927 while hauling pulpwood from Port Arthur, Ontario bound for Ashland, Wisconsin, the Ontario encountered a storm off Outer Island. Eventually, the storm overwhelmed her pumps and she sank with no fatalities. Wreck discovered in 2012. [87] [88] [89] | 47°07′21″N90°18′11″W / 47.122487°N 90.303111°W |  |
| Ottawa | Wooden tug | 1881 | 1909 | 16 feet (4.9 m) | On November 29, 1909 after freeing a stranded steamer off Outer Island, the Ottawa caught fire. While being towed to Bayfield, Wisconsin, she burned to the waterline near Red Cliff, Wisconsin. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. [90] | 46°52′59.5″N90°45′49.1″W / 46.883194°N 90.763639°W |  |
| Pretoria | Wooden schooner barge | 1900 | 1905 | 54 feet (16 m) | On September 1, 1905 the Pretoria left Superior, Wisconsin with a load of iron ore bound for Chicago, Illinois. While sailing off Outer Island, her steering gear failed, and the towline connecting her to her towing steamer broke. The Pretoria drifted towards Outer Islands; eventually sinking with the loss of 5 lives. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. [91] | 47°05.22′N90°23.40′W / 47.08700°N 90.39000°W |  |
| R.G. Stewart | Wooden steamer | 1878 | 1899 | 7 feet (2.1 m) | On June 3, 1899 while carrying passengers, livestock and freight from Ontonagon, Michigan to Duluth, Minnesota, the R.G. Stewart ran aground on Michigan Island in a heavy fog. The next day while trying to get free, she caught fire and burned to the waterline with the loss of one of her crew. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. [92] | 46°52.24′N90°28.30′W / 46.87067°N 90.47167°W |  |
| R.W. Currie | Wooden tug | 1882 | 1919 | 4 feet (1.2 m) | Abandoned near Red Cliff, Wisconsin circa 1919. [93] | 46°53.029′N090°45.874′W / 46.883817°N 90.764567°W |  |
| Rambler | Wooden tug | 1873 | 1891 | 1 foot (0.30 m) | Burned to the waterline on August 24, 1891 near Red Cliff, Wisconsin. [94] | 46°53.007′N090°45.789′W / 46.883450°N 90.763150°W | |
| Sevona | Steel bulk freighter | 1890 | 1905 | 20 feet (6.1 m) | On September 1, 1905 the Sevona left Superior, Wisconsin with a load of iron ore bound for Erie, Pennsylvania. On the morning of September 2, 1905, she ran hard aground on Sand Island Shoal off York Island and sank with the loss of 7 lives. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. [95] | 47°00.24′N90°54.32′W / 47.00400°N 90.90533°W |  |
| T.H. Camp | Wooden fish tug | 1876 | 1900 | 180 feet (55 m) | On November 16, 1900 the T.H. Camp sank between Basswood Island and Madeline Island, due to being overloaded with logging equipment. Wreck located in 1991, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. [96] [97] [98] | 46°49.00′N90°45.00′W / 46.81667°N 90.75000°W |  |
| Thomas Friant | Wooden fish tug | 1884 | 1924 | 305 feet (93 m) | On December 6, 1924 the Thomas Friant left Port Wing, Wisconsin to go gillnetting in the middle of Lake Superior. After seeking shelter in Squaw Bay for the night, she froze in. In the morning she broke free, but the ice cut her hull. She then tried to reach the north shore of the lake, because the south shore was completely frozen over. When she was about 12 miles south of Two Harbors, Minnesota, she sank with no fatalities. Wreck located in 2004, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. [99] | 46°52.0′N91°29.0′W / 46.8667°N 91.4833°W |  |
| Unidentified barge | Wooden scow | Unknown | Unknown | 4 feet (1.2 m) | Unidentified scow/barge, thought to be the scow Bob Cook. [100] [3] | 46°47.320′N090°50.835′W / 46.788667°N 90.847250°W | |
| Unidentified tug 1 | Wooden tug | Unknown | Unknown | 10 feet (3.0 m) | Unidentified wooden tug believed to be from the 19th century. [101] [3] | 46°48.541′N090°48.741′W / 46.809017°N 90.812350°W | |
| Unidentified tug 2 | Wooden tug | Unknown | Unknown | 15 feet (4.6 m) | Unidentified wooden tug believed to have been used for fishing or general work purposes. [3] [102] | 46°48.553′N090°48.776′W / 46.809217°N 90.812933°W | |
| Unidentified wreckage | Unknown (Possibly a fish tug) | Unknown | Unknown | 27 feet (8.2 m) | A small wooden vessel, possibly a fish tug believed to have been built between 1890 and 1930. [3] [103] | 46°48.368′N090°49.230′W / 46.806133°N 90.820500°W |
| Ship | Ship type | Build date | Sunk date | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.L. Hopkins | Wooden steam barge | 1880 | 1911 | The A.L. Hopkins left Bayfield, Wisconsin on October 2, 1911 with a cargo of lumber. The same day she ran into a vicious squall which almost capsized her, and left her waterlogged. On October 3, 1911, her crew was rescued by the freighter Alva C. Dinkey. For the next who weeks, the Hopkins floated about Lake Superior until October 17, 1911, when she was sighted by the freighter William E. Corey off Michigan Island. [104] |  |
| Algonquin | Wooden schooner | 1839 | 1874 | After being laid up in 1874, she gradually filled with water and sank near Superior, Wisconsin. [105] | |
| Alice Craig | Wooden schooner | 1857 | 1887 | Reported to have either foundered off Bayfield, Wisconsin, or driven ashore on Bark Point and destroyed. [106] | |
| Ashland | Wooden tug | 1867 | 1937 | Abandoned in 1937, salvaged, and then towed to Red Cliff Bay where she sank. [107] |  |
| Bob Cook | Wooden scow | 1907 | 1937 | Foundered in November 1937 between Ashland, Wisconsin and Bayfield, Wisconsin. [108] | |
| City of Ashland | Wooden paddle steamer | 1883 | 1887 | On August 8, 1887 the City of Ashland was towing logs to a sawmill in Ashland, Wisconsin. When she was off Washburn, Wisconsin, a fire was discovered at the back of her pilothouse. The fire spread quickly and destroyed most of her hull. Eventually, she burned to the waterline with the loss of one life. [109] |  |
| Clarence | Wooden fish tug | 1930 | 1938 | Exploded in Superior, Wisconsin on June 30, 1938. [110] | |
| Coaster | Wooden scow | 1836 | 1859 | Reported going ashore in a gale, and becoming a total loss. [111] | |
| Commodore Jack Barry | Wooden tug | 1885 | 1897 | Burned in Superior, Wisconsin on October 30, 1897. [112] | |
| F.L. Danforth | Wooden tug | 1867 | 1892 | On June 21, 1892, due to an overheated boiler, the F.L. Danforth caught fire and burned to the waterline in Superior, Wisconsin. [113] |  |
| Francis R. Anderson | Wooden fish tug | 1885 | 1910 | Abandoned in Bayfield, Wisconsin in 1910. [114] | |
| Fred and Will | Wooden tug | 1867 | 1878 | On October 14, 1878, while heading to Outer Island, the Fred and Will caught fire and ran up a reef near Sand Island. [115] [116] | |
| Hazel | Wooden tug | 1893 | 1921 | Abandoned near Ashland, Wisconsin in 1921. [117] | |
| Idlewild | Unknown | Unknown | 1937 | Wooden vessel of unknown type, believed to have burned in 1937. [118] | |
| Ira H. Owen | Steel bulk freighter | 1887 | 1905 | On November 28, 1905 the Ira H. Owen left Duluth, Minnesota with a cargo of barley bound for Buffalo, New York. As she approached the Apostle Islands, she started to encounter some bad weather, but at the time her captain decided against seeking shelter. Just as she passed Outer Island, she was struck by the full force of what was later to be known as the Mataafa Storm. Later that day, she was spotted by the freighter Harold B. Nye, and appeared to be in trouble. After about two hours, the Nye tried to look for the Owen but she was nowhere to be seen. [119] [120] |  |
| John A. Paige | Wooden tug | 1881 | 1892 | On September 6, 1892 the John A. Paige caught fire and burned to the waterline in Siskiwit Bay, near Cornucopia, Wisconsin. [121] | |
| Josephine | Wooden schooner | 1864 | 1877 | Wrecked on Michigan Island on November 4, 1877. [122] | |
| Kakabeka | Wooden steamer | 1885 | 1895 | On December 12, 1895 the Kakabeka broke loose from her moorings, and went aground on Sand Island, becoming a total loss. [123] [upper-alpha 1] |  |
| Lua | Wooden sloop | 1905 | 1905 | Wrecked on September 1, 1905 off Bayfield, Wisconsin, three days before her christening. [124] | |
| Maggie Carroll | Wooden tug | 1883 | 1893 | Burned to the waterline on September 28, 1893 in Superior, Wisconsin. [125] | |
| Manistee | Wooden steamer | 1867 | 1883 | On November 10, 1883 the Manistee left Duluth, Minnesota with 7 passengers and a 400-ton cargo bound for Ontonagon, Michigan. On November 11, 1883 she sought shelter in Bayfield, Wisconsin; while in port she transferred some of her passengers to the steamer City of Duluth. On November 16, 1883 she headed back out on to Lake Superior, and then disappeared somewhere east of the apostle Islands. [126] |  |
| M.R. Warner | Wooden schooner barge | 1873 | 1893 | On November 2, 1893 while carrying lumber from Duluth, Minnesota, the M.R. Warner broke loose from her towing steamer, and went aground on Sand Island. [127] |  |
| Madeline | Wooden steamer | 1892 | 1940 | Abandoned in 1940, near Ashland, Wisconsin. [128] |  |
| May Corgan | Wooden tug | 1883 | 1891 | On December 7, 1891 the May Corgan sank off Bark Point near Cornucopia, Wisconsin. [129] [130] | |
| Mystic | Unknown (Possibly a launch) | Unknown | 1919 | Sank in a storm in March 1919. [131] | |
| Oden | Wooden steam barge | 1890 | 1907 | The Oden was reported either to have foundered near Duluth, Minnesota or Superior, Wisconsin on July 7, 1907, or reported to have beached on Park Point in August 1907. [132] [upper-alpha 2] |  |
| Ozaukee | Wooden paddle steamer | 1857 | 1884 | On may 26, 1884 the Ozaukee was blown ashore in a storm off Bad River. [133] | |
| Phantom | Wooden schooner | Unknown | 1878 | Ran aground at the mouth of Bad River in 1878. [134] | |
| Prussia | Wooden steamer | 1873 | 1885 | On September September 11, 1885 the Prussia left Port Arthur, Ontario for Duluth, Minnesota where she would load grain bound for Montreal, Quebec. While passing the Apostle Islands, the winds started to pick up, so the Prussia's Captain decided to seek shelter on the lee side of Sand Island. On the morning of September 12, 1885, the Prussia's Captain discovered a fire which apparently started under the boilers. The fire spread quickly, and she quickly burned to the waterline. Her crew of 11 was rescued by the keeper of the Sand Island Light. [135] [136] |  |
| Tourist | Wooden tug | 1888 | 1889 | On September 6, 1889 the Tourist caught fire near Bayfield, Wisconsin, she was then cut loose and left to drift away. [137] | |
| Unknown gasboat 1 | Unknown | Unknown | 1928 | Lost in a snow squall in 1928, her owner was presumed to have drowned. [138] | |
| Unknown gasboat 2 | Unknown | Unknown | 1908 | Burned at the Wachsmuth Lumber Company docks in Bayfield, Wisconsin in 1908. [139] | |
| Unknown gasboat 3 | Unknown | Unknown | 1929 | Began to leak west of Bayfield, Wisconsin, and sank. Crew picked up by steamer Madeline. [140] | |
| Unknown gasboat 4 | Unknown | Unknown | 1905 | Lost in the Mataafa Storm. [141] | |
| Unknown gasboat 5 | Unknown | Unknown | 1933 | Went ashore near Red Cliff, Wisconsin in 1933. [142] | |
| Unknown scow 1 | Wooden scow | Unknown | 1916 | Capsized in Chequamegon Bay in 1916 with one man lost. [143] | |
| Unknown scow 2 | Wooden scow | Unknown | 1893 | Lost in a storm somewhere between Ashland, Wisconsin and Bark Point in 1893. [144] | |
| Unknown skiffs | Wooden skiffs | Unknown | 1932 | Five skiffs were washed away from their moorings in a storm in 1932. [145] | |
| Unknown sloop 1 | Wooden sloop | Unknown | 1907 | Disappeared with all hands near Red Cliff, Wisconsin in August 1907. [146] | |
| Unknown sloop 2 | Wooden sloop | Unknown | 1899 | Capsized near Madeline Island in 1899 with the loss of one life. [147] | |
| Unknown sloop 3 | Wooden sloop | Unknown | 1900 | Driven ashore and smashed to pieces in a 1907 storm near Bayfield, Wisconsin. [148] | |
| Unknown wreck 1 | Unknown | Unknown | 1898 | Sank circa 1898. Wreckage sighted by a passing steamer. [149] | |
| Unknown wreck 2 | Unknown | Unknown | 1905 | Destroyed by a storm near Bayfield, Wisconsin in 1905. [150] |
The SS Marquette was a wooden-hulled, American Great Lakes freighter built in 1881, that sank on Lake Superior, five miles east of Michigan Island, Ashland County, Wisconsin, Apostle Islands, United States on October 15, 1903. On the day of February 13, 2008 the remains of the Marquette were listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Samuel P. Ely is a shipwreck in Two Harbors, Minnesota listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was a schooner that sailed the Great Lakes carrying iron ore, coal, and other bulk freight. It was built in 1869 and was a fairly typical example of the 200-foot schooner built in the 1870s, though she was reinforced for the demands of carrying iron ore.
The SS Samuel Mather was the first of seven U.S. merchant ships to bear that name. The wooden Mather sank in 1891 after she was rammed by the steel freighter Brazil in heavy fog in Whitefish Bay 8 miles (13 km) from Point Iroquois, ending the Mather's 4-year career. Her intact wreck is a rare of example of wooden freighters that plied the Great Lakes and she is a popular scuba diving site. Although there was no loss of life when the Mather sank, her wreck claimed the lives of three scuba divers more than 100 years after she sank. Artifacts from her wreck were illegally removed in the 1980s by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society. The artifacts are now the property of the State of Michigan and are on display as a loan to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The wreck of the Mather is protected as part of an underwater museum in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.
SS Ira H. Owen was a steel-hulled American lake freighter in service between 1887 and 1905. One of the first steel lake freighters, she was built in 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, by the Globe Iron Works Company, and was built for the Owen Line of Chicago, Illinois. Early in her career, Ira H. Owen carried iron ore from Escanaba, Michigan. In April 1898, Ira H. Owen was chartered by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. She was sold to the National Steamship Company of Chicago, on December 30, 1899, for whom she frequently carried coal and grain. Throughout her career, Ira H. Owen was involved in multiple accidents and incidents.
The Harriet B. was a wooden-hulled barge that served on the Great Lakes of North America, originally as the railroad ferry Shenango No.2, then a bulk carrier and finally as an unpowered barge. She sank four miles off Two Harbors, Minnesota, on May 3, 1922, after being rammed by the steel freighter Quincy A. Shaw. Her wreck was accidentally located upright and intact in 2005 in 656 feet (200 m) of water. On August 9, 2018, the wreck of the Harriet B. was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
SS Selah Chamberlain was a wooden-hulled Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Michigan in 1886, 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Sheboygan, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States after being rammed by the steamer John Pridgeon Jr. with the loss of five lives. On January 7, 2019, the wreck of Selah Chamberlain was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was given the reference number 100003288. She was the first shipwreck listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.
SS Hudson was a steel-hulled package freighter that served on the Great Lakes from her construction in 1887 to her sinking in 1901. On September 16, 1901, while heading across Lake Superior with a cargo of wheat and flax, she ran into a storm and sank with the loss of all 25 crew off Eagle Harbor, Michigan. For nearly 118 years the location of Hudson's wreck remained unknown, until in July 2019 her wreck was found in 825 feet (251 m) of water, completely intact.
PS Lotta Bernard was a wooden-hulled sidewheel steam barge that served on the Great Lakes from her construction in 1869 to her sinking in 1874. She was built in Port Clinton, Ohio, in 1869 by Lewis M. Jackson for S.W. Dorsey of Sandusky, Ohio. When she entered service, she was chartered by the Northern Transportation Company to carry cordwood from the Portage River and Put-in-Bay to Cleveland, Ohio. In 1870, Lotta Bernard was sold to Luman H. Tenney of Duluth, Minnesota. During this time, she was contracted to haul building materials from Bark Bay, Wisconsin, to Duluth to be used in the construction of the first grain elevator in that port. Lotta Bernard was sold to John D. Howard of Superior, Wisconsin, in 1871.
SS S.R. Kirby was a composite-hulled bulk carrier that served on the Great Lakes of North America from her construction in 1890 to her sinking in 1916. On May 8, 1916, while heading across Lake Superior with a cargo of iron ore and the steel barge George E. Hartnell in tow, she ran into a storm and sank with the loss of all but two of her 22-man crew off Eagle Harbor, Michigan. For over 102 years the location of S.R. Kirby's wreck remained unknown, until June 2018, when her wreck was discovered by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) in 825 feet (251 m) of water, completely broken up.
SS Russia was an iron-hulled American Great Lakes package freighter that sank in a Lake Huron gale on April 30, 1909, near DeTour Village, Michigan, with all 22 of her crew and one passenger surviving.
SS Vernon was a wooden-hulled American passenger and package freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm on October 29, 1887, near Two Rivers, Wisconsin, with the loss of between 36 and 50 lives, making her one of the deadliest shipwrecks ever to have occurred in Wisconsin. Only one of the people on board survived.
SS John V. Moran was a wooden-hulled American package freighter in service between 1888 and 1899. She was built in 1888 in West Bay City, Michigan, by F.W. Wheeler & Company. She was built for Ward's Crescent Transportation Company of Detroit, Michigan, and was operated as part of his Detroit & Lake Superior Line. She was built to haul both bulk, and package freight. Throughout the 1893 shipping season, John V. Moran ran between Buffalo, New York, and Duluth, Minnesota. She was sold for the first time in 1895 to the Union Transit Line of Buffalo, and once again in 1898 to the Crosby Transportation Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Robert C. Pringle, originally named Chequamegon, was a wooden-hulled American tugboat that sank without loss of life on Lake Michigan, near Sheboygan, Wisconsin, on June 19, 1922, after striking an obstruction.
115 was an American whaleback barge in service between 1891 and 1899. She was built between May and August 1891, in Superior, Wisconsin by Alexander McDougall's American Steel Barge Company, for the "McDougall fleet", based in Buffalo, New York. She was one of a class of distinctive, experimental ship designed and built by McDougall. The whalebacks were designed to be more stable in high seas. They had rounded decks, and lacked the normal straight sides seen on traditional lake freighters. 115 entered service on August 25, hauling iron ore from Superior.
129 was an American whaleback barge in service between 1893 and 1902. She was built between December 1892 and May 1893, in Superior, Wisconsin,, by Alexander McDougall's American Steel Barge Company, for McDougall's fleet of the same name, based in Buffalo, New York. She was one of a class of distinctive and experimental ships designed and built by McDougall. The whalebacks were designed to be more stable in high seas. They had rounded decks, and lacked the normal straight sides seen on traditional lake freighters. 129 entered service on May 22, hauling wheat from Superior. She was sold to the Bessemer Steamship Company of Cleveland, Ohio, in 1900. In 1901, she became owned by the Pittsburgh Steamship Company of Duluth, Minnesota, when the Bessemer fleet merged into it.
104 was an American whaleback barge in service between 1890 and 1898. The fourth whaleback constructed, she was built between October 1889 and February 1890, in Duluth, Minnesota by Alexander McDougall's American Steel Barge Company, for McDougall's fleet of the same name, based in Buffalo, New York. She was a whaleback, a class of distinctive, experimental ship designed and built by McDougall. The whalebacks were designed to be more stable in high seas. They had rounded decks, and lacked the normal straight sides seen on traditional lake freighters. 104 entered service on April 21, hauling iron ore from Two Harbors, Minnesota.
SS Manasoo was a steel-hulled Canadian passenger and package freighter in service between 1888 and 1928. She was built in 1888 in Port Glasgow, Scotland, by William Hamilton & Company for the Hamilton Steamboat Company of Hamilton, Ontario, who used her as a passenger transport between Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario. Macassa was lengthened in Collingwood, Ontario, in 1905. She was sold twice before being sold to the Owen Sound Transportation Company, Ltd., and was rebuilt and renamed Manasoo; after the sale, she mainly operated between Sault Ste. Marie and Owen Sound, Ontario.