Identification & Site Information

• Name: ANNIE YOUNG
• Other Names: None reported
• Official Number: 1760
• Date Built and Launched: April 10, 1869
• Builder: Campbell & Owen, Detroit, Michigan
• Master Carpenter: E.C. Merrick
• Original Owners: Duncan Stewart & J.L. Hurd, Detroit, Michigan
• Home port: Detroit, Michigan
• Vessel Type: Wooden package freighter (also referred to as a steam-powered lake freighter)
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Number of Masts: 1
• Measurements: Length: 187 ft (57.0 m) Beam: 32.3 ft (9.8 m)Depth: 11.8 ft (3.6 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 1,006 tons
• Net Tonnage: 793 tons
• Primary Cargo: Package freight (general cargo) and coal
• Notable Routes: Buffalo, NY – Chicago, IL – Erie, PA – Saginaw, MI – Lake Superior trade

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Vessel Type

The Annie Young Measurements: Length: 187 ft (57.0 m) Beam: 32.3 ft (9.8 m)Depth: 11.8 ft (3.6 m), steam-powered package freighter, designed to carry general freight, coal, and other cargo across the Great Lakes. Package freighters were a vital part of 19th-century commerce, transporting smaller shipments between ports rather than bulk cargoes like iron ore or lumber.

During her career, the ANNIE YOUNG served on several major trade routes, including:

• Chicago to Erie and Buffalo
• Saginaw to Buffalo
• Lake Superior runs

She was part of the Erie & Western Transportation Company (Anchor Line), which was one of the largest Steamship operators on the Great Lakes at the time.

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History

The ANNIE YOUNG had a 21-year career, undergoing multiple repairs and ownership changes before being lost in a fire in 1890.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• April 10, 1869: Launched for Saginaw-Buffalo service, enrolled in Detroit, Michigan.
• April 7, 1870: Re-enrolled in Buffalo, New York, under new owners Edwin T. Evans & James C. Evans.
• February 1, 1873: Re-enrolled in Erie, Pennsylvania, as part of the Erie & Western Transportation Co. (Anchor Line).
• 1874: Laid up for most of the season, possibly due to economic conditions.
• 1876: Operated on Lake Superior routes, likely due to increased demand for iron ore shipments.
• 1878: Repaired after years of service.
• 1882 & 1887: Further repairs and re-enrollment in Erie, Pennsylvania.
• October 20, 1890: Caught fire and sank in Lake Huron.

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Final Disposition

The ANNIE YOUNG was lost on October 20, 1890, after catching fire and burning to the waterline while sailing on Lake Huron.

The Disaster

• The vessel was carrying coal and general freight from Buffalo, NY, to Gladstone, MI.
• A fire broke out onboard, spreading rapidly through the wooden Hull.
• As the crew attempted to fight the fire, the ship drifted out of control.
• The ANNIE YOUNG burned to the waterline and sank approximately 6 miles off the mouth of Black River, near Lexington, Michigan.
• 9 of the 22 crew members perished in the fire, while the remaining 13 escaped.
• October 30, 1890: Salvage crews attempted to recover parts of the cargo.
• November 13, 1890: Efforts to recover the ship’s boiler began.
• December 23, 1890: The vessel’s registration documents were officially surrendered in Erie, Pennsylvania, with the note “Vessel destroyed by fire.”

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Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the ANNIE YOUNG‘s wreck being discovered or surveyed near Lexington, Michigan in Lake Huron.

Because the vessel burned to the waterline before sinking, it is possible that little remains of the wreck.

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NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Lexington, Michigan, Lake Huron.

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Resources & Links

• Newspaper Reports:
• Detroit Free Press (October 30, 1890) – Reports the loss of the vessel and the beginning of cargo recovery efforts.
• Merchant Vessel List (1890-91) – Lists the ANNIE YOUNG as “Vessel destroyed by fire.”
• Historical Databases:
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File

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Conclusion

The ANNIE YOUNG was a hardworking package freighter, serving over two decades on the Great Lakes before meeting its tragic end in a fire in 1890.

Its loss was one of many fire-related disasters on wooden steamers, highlighting the constant danger of coal fires, oil-soaked wooden hulls, and the lack of effective firefighting equipment aboard 19th-century ships.

With 9 crew members lost, it remains one of the deadliest package freighter fires in Great Lakes history.

If you’d like to learn more about shipwrecks near Lexington, package freighters, or fire-related disasters on the Great Lakes, let me know!