Identification & Site Information

• Name: Union
• Former Names: None
• Official Number: 60064
• Date Built & Launched: 1877
• Builder: W. Bay City, Michigan
• Specifications: 33 ft x 8 ft x 3 ft (10.1 m x 2.4 m x 0.9 m), 5 gross tons
• Vessel Type: Wooden scow-Schooner
• Date Lost: 1883 (exact date unreported)

Vessel Type

The Union was a small wooden scow-Schooner, a type of flat-bottomed sailing vessel commonly used on the Great Lakes for transporting bulk materials like lumber, stone, or coal. These vessels were built to operate in shallow waters, allowing them to access river mouths, small harbors, and lumber camps.

Description & History

Built in 1877 in West Bay City, Michigan, the Union was one of the many small scow-schooners constructed for local freight transport and short-haul shipping. Given its small size (5 gross tons), it was likely used for inshore transport, possibly working in the Saginaw Bay region or along Lake Huron’s coastline.

Very little is recorded about the vessel’s service history, but at some point in 1883, it was wrecked under unknown circumstances. The exact location, cause of loss, and any potential casualties remain undocumented.

On December 15, 1883, its enrollment was officially surrendered at Port Huron, Michigan, with the annotation “wrecked.” By 1884, the Union was listed in Merchant Vessels as “lost or otherwise out of service,” confirming that it was no longer operational.

Final Disposition

The exact fate and location of the wreck remain unknown. Given the small size of the vessel and the lack of detailed reports, it may have been wrecked in shallow water and salvaged or Abandoned.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck has been documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

 No known modern navigational hazards linked to this vessel exist. If the wreck was in Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, or another shallow area, it may have disintegrated over time or been buried under sediment.

Resources & Links

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

Conclusion

The Union was a small, functional scow-Schooner, part of the working fleet that supported Great Lakes commerce. Its loss in 1883 remains largely undocumented, highlighting the fate of many smaller vessels that disappeared without major historical record. Though its final resting place is unknown, it serves as an example of the many unrecorded shipwrecks that were once crucial to regional transport and trade.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Great Lakes schooners, scow-Schooner, Port Huron, Michigan shipwrecks, unknown shipwrecks

Categories: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes, 19th-century shipwrecks, wooden schooners, unknown losses

Glossary Terms: Scow-Schooner, Enrollment Surrender, Wrecked, Port Huron