Identification & Site Information

• Name: Uncle Sam
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 25131
• Date Built & Launched: 1863
• Builder: A. Abernethy, Buffalo, New York
• Specifications: 59 ft x 15 ft x 5 ft (18.0 m x 4.6 m x 1.5 m), 24 gross tons
• Vessel Type: Wooden propeller steam Tug
• Date Lost: Mid-March 1882
• Place of Loss: Straits of Mackinac, just above Cheboygan, Lake Huron
• Cause of Loss: Crushed by ice and sank
• Owner: Hudson & Christian, Muskegon, Michigan
• Port of Registry: Muskegon, Michigan
• Rebuilds:
  • 1874 – Rebuilt at East Saginaw
  • 1880 – Rebuilt again after a fire at East Saginaw

Vessel Type

The Uncle Sam was a wooden steam-powered Tugboat, used for towing ships, assisting vessels in harbors, and potentially working in the lumber industry. Small steam tugs like this were essential for maneuvering larger vessels in tight waterways, particularly in the Great Lakes logging trade and port operations.

Description & History

Built in 1863 by A. Abernethy in Buffalo, New York, the Uncle Sam was an important working vessel, likely used for towing lumber-laden schooners and barges in and out of Michigan’s logging ports. By 1874, the vessel had been Rebuilt at East Saginaw, and in 1880, it underwent another major Rebuild following a fire at the same location.

In March 1882, the Uncle Sam was bound for Muskegon, having been sold to Hudson & Christian, when it became trapped in ice near Cheboygan in the Straits of Mackinac. Unable to escape, the vessel was crushed by shifting ice floes and sank.

By April 11, 1882, newspapers confirmed that the ship had been completely broken up. However, in July 1883, reports indicated that the wreck had been towed into Cheboygan, where its machinery was removed for installation in a new Hull. The vessel’s official documentation was surrendered in 1884, marking its final end.

Final Disposition

The Uncle Sam was lost in the ice but later salvaged for its machinery, which was repurposed for another vessel. Any remaining wreckage was likely scattered or submerged near Cheboygan.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of wreckage has been documented, as the Hull was likely destroyed or left unrecovered.

NOTMARs & Advisories

The Straits of Mackinac are a well-known shipwreck zone, with shifting ice and strong currents contributing to many losses.Any remaining debris from the Uncle Sam may be buried under silt or displaced due to ice movement over the years.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• NOAA Great Lakes Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The Uncle Sam was a small but essential steam Tug, playing a role in Great Lakes shipping, towing, and logging operations. Its destruction by ice in 1882 highlights the hazards of early navigation in the Straits of Mackinac, especially in winter and early spring. Though the vessel was lost, its machinery lived on, salvaged and placed into another Hull—a testament to the resourcefulness of Great Lakes mariners.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes tugs, steam-powered tugs, Straits of Mackinac shipwrecks, Lake Huron shipwrecks, ice-related wrecks

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Huron, 19th-century shipwrecks, wooden steam tugs, ice-related losses

Glossary Terms: Steam Tug, Ice Crushing, Great Lakes Lumber Trade, Straits of Mackinac Navigation