TOLEDO – Shipwreck Information

• Official No.: 24112
• Other Names: None
• Type at Loss: Wooden propeller, bulk freight
• Built: 1862, by Peck & Masters, Cleveland, Ohio
• Specifications: Length: 181 ft (55.17 m) Beam: 32 ft (9.75 m) Depth: 11 ft (3.35 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 579 tons (579 g)
• Net Tonnage: 389 tons (389 n)
• Date of Loss: September 29, 1898 (September 20 and October 29 also given in error)
• Place of Loss: Off upper entrance to Portage Ship Canal, Lake Superior
• Lake: Superior
• Type of Loss: Storm
• Loss of Life: None
• Cargo: 475,000 board feet of lumber
• Owner at Time of Loss: John S. Gray, Houghton, Michigan
• Captain at Time of Loss: Not specified in the available records
• Vessel: Wooden propeller, bulk freight vessel

Description

The Toledo was a wooden propeller vessel built in 1862 by the Peck & Masters shipyard in Cleveland, Ohio. Originally designed as a package freighter, it measured 181 feet in length, 32 feet in beam, and had a depth of 11 feet, with a Gross Tonnage of 579 tons and a Net Tonnage of 389 tons. After a long career and numerous accidents, the vessel was condemned for poor condition in 1890 and was Rebuilt as a bulk freighter in Detroit in 1890-91.

By the late 1890s, the Toledo was downbound with the Barge Shawnee in tow, carrying 475,000 board feet of lumber when disaster struck on September 29, 1898. The ship sprang a leak and began to founder. Fortunately, it was kept afloat by its cargo, which prevented immediate sinking. The Toledo was towed into Portage Harbor, but it ultimately sank near the entrance to the harbor, partially blocking the lower end of the Portage Ship Canal.

Due to the obstruction caused by the wreck, the Toledo was later dynamited as a navigational hazard. Despite this destruction, no loss of life was reported in the incident. The vessel’s destruction marked the end of a long and storied career, which had seen many accidents over the years.

Final Dispositions

After springing a leak and beginning to sink while towing the Shawnee down Lake Superior, the Toledo was towed into Portage Harbor, where it sank near the entrance. The sinking of the Toledo partially blocked the lower end of the Portage Ship Canal. To clear the obstruction, the wreck was later dynamited, removing the vessel from the shipping channel. The Toledo’s final disposition as a navigational hazard and its eventual destruction by dynamite marked the end of its troubled history.

Located By & Date Found

There is no record of the exact location where the wreck of the Toledo was found or any modern efforts to locate its remains. However, its wreck was cleared from the Portage Ship Canal, and it was destroyed by dynamite in order to reopen the shipping route.

Notable Marks & Advisories

There are no specific navigational marks or advisories directly associated with the wreck of the Toledo. However, its sinking in the entrance to the Portage Ship Canal led to the wreck being removed by dynamite to prevent further obstruction to the canal.

Resources & Links

• David Swayze Shipwreck File – MV, Polk, HGL, GWGL, H, LHL, LSS, MPL, DF, NSP, GLMD
• Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals
• The Maritime History of the Great Lakes

Conclusion

The Toledo was a long-serving wooden propeller vessel, originally built as a package freighter in 1862 and later Rebuilt into a bulk freighter after a career marked by numerous accidents. In 1898, while towing the Shawnee on Lake Superior, the Toledo sprang a leak and sank near the entrance to the Portage Ship Canal. Despite being kept afloat by its cargo, the vessel ultimately sank and partially blocked the canal. The wreck was later dynamited to clear the shipping route, marking the end of the Toledo’s storied career on the Great Lakes.