Identification & Site Information

• Name: TECUMSEH
• Official Number: C (Unconfirmed)
• Type at Loss: Barge, Wood
• Year Built: 1853 (estimated)
• Place Built: Chatham, Ontario
• Specifications: Tonnage: 82 tons Date of Loss: 1881
• Place of Loss: Near Port Huron, Michigan
• Lake: Huron
• Type of Loss: Unreported (Cause unspecified)
• Loss of Life: Unknown
• Carrying: Unknown

Vessel Type

The TECUMSEH was a wooden Barge, a type of unpowered vessel designed primarily for cargo transport. Barges were often towed by steam tugs or propeller-driven vessels, especially on the Great Lakes, where they were key components in bulk shipping operations. Their flat-bottomed design allowed for easy loading and unloading of heavy materials like lumber, coal, grain, or stone.

Believed to have been constructed around 1853 in Chatham, Ontario, the TECUMSEH served during a period of rapid expansion in Great Lakes commerce. As a wooden Barge, she would have been used primarily in bulk freight transport, likely moving between Canadian and U.S. ports on Lake Huron.

While specific details about her operational history are scarce, vessels like the TECUMSEH were commonly employed to carry cargoes such as timber, grain, coal, or industrial materials. Her relatively small tonnage (82 tons) suggests she was likely part of a tow convoy, pulled by larger steam-powered tugs.

Final Disposition

The TECUMSEH was lost offshore near Port Huron, Michigan, in 1881. Unfortunately, no specific details regarding the circumstances of her loss have been recorded. This lack of information was not uncommon for barges during this era, as many such vessels were considered expendable compared to their powered counterparts, and less attention was given to documenting their fates unless there was significant loss of life or cargo.

Given the region’s hazardous shoals, unpredictable weather, and busy shipping lanes, her loss could have been due to:

• Severe weather conditions (common on Lake Huron)
• Structural failure (wooden barges had limited durability over time)
• Accidental collision or grounding
• Towline failure, causing her to drift and eventually sink

Resources & Links

• • Historic Great Lakes Vessels – Bowling Green State University
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes (SLH)
• Register of Shipping Losses (RSL)

Conclusion

The story of the TECUMSEH remains one of the many undocumented maritime losses on the Great Lakes. Barges like her played a crucial role in supporting the industrial growth of North America, quietly carrying the bulk of commerce behind the more prominent steamships of the era. Though her exact fate remains a mystery, the TECUMSEH is a reminder of the perils faced by the countless unsung vessels that navigated the treacherous waters of Lake Huron during the 19th century.