Identification & Site Information

• • Wreck Name: Boscobel
• • Official Number: 31430
• • Vessel Type: Schooner-Barge (originally a propeller vessel)
• • Year Built: 1866
• • Builder: S.V.D. Philbrook
• • Construction Location: Peshtigo, Wisconsin (initially), with upper works completed in Chicago, Illinois
• • Material: Wood

Dimensions:

• • Length: 168.5 feet (51.4 m)
• • Beam: 30.6 feet (9.3 m)
• • Depth: 17.3 feet (5.3 m)
• • Tonnage:
• • Gross: 503.89 tons (as a Barge); 570 tons after re-rigging as a three-mast Schooner

• • Final Disposition: Sank in Lake Huron near Alpena, Michigan, in 1900
• • Location: Lake Huron, near Alpena, Michigan

Vessel Type Description

The Boscobel was a versatile wooden vessel that underwent multiple transformations to adapt to the changing demands of Great Lakes shipping. Initially constructed as a propeller vessel in 1866, it was later converted into a Barge and subsequently re-rigged as a three-mast Schooner. These changes allowed the vessel to remain operational in the evolving maritime trade environment of the late 19th century.

History

The Boscobel was launched in December 1866 in Peshtigo, Wisconsin, with its upper works completed in Chicago, Illinois. Initially constructed for the Peshtigo Company, it served the lumber trade between Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois, at speeds of 8–11 miles per hour.

The vessel’s early history included a fire on September 3, 1869, in the St. Clair River, which claimed three lives and destroyed its cargo. Despite the tragedy, the Boscobel was raised and dismantled, eventually Rebuilt in 1876 as a Barge in Algonac, Michigan. Its Gross Tonnage increased to 503.89 tons, and it was capable of carrying up to 65,000 feet of lumber.

Further modifications in 1883 transformed the vessel into a three-mast Schooner with expanded dimensions and a Gross Tonnage of 570 tons. Throughout its service life, the Boscobel encountered several incidents, including a sinking near Turtle Light in Lake Erie in 1895, from which it was salvaged and returned to service.

In September 1900, while carrying a load of coal, the Boscobel sprang a leak during a storm in Lake Huron and sank near Alpena, Michigan. Its final enrollment was surrendered in 1903, marked “sold foreign,” with reports suggesting it sank permanently in 1904.

Final Disposition

The Boscobel sank in Lake Huron in September 1900 after taking on water during a storm. Although it was initially thought salvageable, it was eventually Abandoned. Details of its final sinking remain unclear, though the vessel’s long history of incidents culminated in its loss near Alpena, Michigan.

NOTMARs & Advisories

• Current Status: The wreck site is not known to pose a navigational hazard, and there are no active Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) related to the site.

Located By & Date

The wreck is believed to have been located near Alpena, Michigan, after the 1900 sinking. Modern exploration details or specific discoveries are not documented.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Given its age, the condition of the Boscobel is unknown, and no reports detail its accessibility for diving or exploration. The wreck remains of interest to maritime historians and potentially to divers, depending on its state and location.

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Ships Database

• David Swayze Shipwreck File

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Conclusion

The Boscobel serves as a notable example of a 19th-century Great Lakes vessel that underwent multiple adaptations throughout its operational life. From its construction as a propeller vessel to its later use as a Schooner-Barge, the ship exemplifies the dynamic demands of maritime trade during the era. Despite surviving numerous incidents, the Boscobel met its end in the stormy waters of Lake Huron, contributing to the rich tapestry of Great Lakes maritime history.

Keywords

Boscobel, Schooner-Barge, Great Lakes shipwreck, Lake Huron storm, 19th-century maritime disaster, Great Lakes lumber transport, shipwreck salvage, Alpena Michigan.