Identification & Site Information

• Name: H. AND G. (Also recorded as H & E)
• Former Names: None reported
• Official Number: 42376
• Date Built and Launched: 1870
• Builder: P. Hitchcock, Bangor, Michigan
• Homeport: Unknown
• Final Owner: Unknown
• Vessel Type: Wooden Barge (Unpowered Cargo Carrier)
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Power: None (Towed by Steam Tugs or Freighters)
• Measurements:
• Length: 132 ft (40.2 m)
• Beam: 28 ft (8.5 m)
• Depth: 10 ft (3.0 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 309 tons
• Primary Cargo: Unknown (lumber, coal, or general freight)
• Final Route: Unknown

Vessel Type

The H. AND G. was a wooden Barge, a vessel designed for hauling bulk cargo, typically towed by steam-powered tugs or freighters.

Key Features of Great Lakes Barges:

• Designed for carrying bulk materials such as coal, lumber, or grain
• Lacked independent propulsion and relied on steam tugs
• Commonly used in the late 19th century for cost-effective shipping

At 132 feet long and 309 tons, the H. AND G. was a mid-sized Barge part of a lumber or coal transport operation. The H. AND G. operated for nine years, serving as a Great Lakes cargo Barge before being lost in 1879.

• 1870: Built in Bangor, Michigan, by P. Hitchcock.
• Unknown: operated as a cargo Barge, towed by steamers.
• 1879, December 7: Lost on the Great Lakes (Details unknown).

The Disaster

• No confirmed details on location, cargo, cause of loss, or possible survivors.
• Given the season (December) and Barge type, it may have Foundered in a winter storm while under tow.
• The fate of its crew (if any) is unknown.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the H. AND G.‘s wreck remains being discovered or documented.

Due to its wooden construction and uncertain loss location, the wreck may be buried, broken apart, or unidentified.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Michigan Maritime Museum (South Haven, MI) (Local records on Bangor-built ships)
• Bangor Historical Society (Bangor, MI) (Potential builder and ownership records)
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (Whitefish Point, MI) (Possible historical data on late 19th-century Barge losses)

Conclusion

The H. AND G. was a mid-sized cargo Barge, used for hauling lumber or coal on the Great Lakes, before it disappeared under unknown circumstances in 1879. Its loss remains undocumented, but it was most the victim of a winter storm while under tow, a common cause of Barge losses in the late 19th century.