Identification & Site Information

• Other Names: Later renamed Glenshee (1915), Marquette (1926), Goderich (1927), Agawa (1963), and finally Lionel Parsons (1968)
• Official Number: 134511
• Vessel Type: Steel bulk freight Propeller Steamer
• Builder: American Shipbuilding Co., Cleveland, Ohio
• Hull Number: 442
• Year Built: 1906
• Specifications:
• Length: 480 ft (146.3 m)
• Beam: 54 ft (16.5 m)
• Depth: 30 ft (9.1 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 5,667 tons
• Net Tonnage: 3,789 tons

Service History

The Howard M. Hanna, Jr. was built in 1906 at Cleveland, Ohio, by American Shipbuilding Co., one of the largest and most prominent shipbuilders of the early 20th century. Designed as a Great Lakes bulk freighter, she was part of a fleet that moved coal, iron ore, and grain across the inland seas.

For seven years, she worked in the Great Lakes shipping trade, hauling large quantities of industrial cargo between ports in the U.S. and Canada.

Final Voyage & Loss – Great Storm of 1913 (November 11, 1913)

The Howard M. Hanna, Jr. was one of the many vessels caught in the Great Lakes Hurricane of 1913, also known as the “Big Blow”—one of the deadliest and most destructive storms in the region’s history.

• On November 11, 1913, the ship was driven onto Port Austin Reef, near Pointe Aux Barques, Lake Huron.
• The powerful gale-force winds and massive waves made escape impossible, forcing the crew to ride out the storm stranded on the reef.
• Fortunately, no lives were lost, but the ship was severely damaged.

Declared a Total Loss but Salvaged

Initially declared a “constructive Total Loss”, the wreck was sold to Canadian salvager James Reid in 1914. He managed to pull her off the reef, and she was sent to Collingwood, Ontario, for repairs and refitting.

• In 1915, she was renamed Glenshee and returned to service.
• Over the years, she changed hands and was renamed multiple times:
• Marquette (1926)
• Goderich (1927)
• Agawa (1963)
• Lionel Parsons (1968)

She continued to sail for nearly 70 more years, proving to be a highly valuable vessel even after her near-destruction in 1913.

Final Disposition & Scrapping – 1983

After an impressive 77-year career, the ship was finally retired and scrapped in 1983 at Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return (wreck was salvaged)

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return

Resources & Links

📖 More on Great Lakes Shipwrecks:
🔗 Maritime History of the Great Lakes
🔗 Great Lakes Shipwreck Research
🔗 David Swayze Shipwreck File
🔗 Save Ontario Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The Howard M. Hanna, Jr. was one of the many victims of the Great Storm of 1913, but unlike most, she escaped a watery grave thanks to a successful salvage operation. Renamed and Rebuilt multiple times, she defied destruction and sailed for another seven decades before being scrapped in Thunder Bay in 1983.

Her story is a testament to the resilience of Great Lakes freighters, the ingenuity of salvage crews, and the brutal force of the 1913 storm, which remains one of the worst maritime disasters in Great Lakes history.

#HowardMHannaJr #GreatLakesShipwrecks #GreatStorm1913 #LakeHuron #ShipwreckExploration #MaritimeHistory #BulkFreighters