Other Names #
- GEORGE C. MARKHAM
Site Description #
- Bulk Carrier
- 141ft 36m Lenghts
- 40ffw 16m Depths
- Frying Pan Island, Lake Huron
- 45º 59.351’ North
83º 53.792’ West.
History #
The steamer JOHN W. CULLEN was originally built in 1883 at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, by the Milwaukee Shipyard Co. under the name GEORGE C. MARKHAM. Initially owned by the Fitzgerald family of Milwaukee, it operated as a lumber carrier with dimensions of 141 feet in length, 28 feet in beam, hull depth of 10.4 feet, and a gross tonnage of 309 tons.
In 1899, the vessel was sold to Thomas Munroe of Muskegon, Michigan, and continued its service as a lumber carrier. In 1914, it was sold to George A. Douglas of Detroit, Michigan, and converted into a sand dredge. Further changes of ownership followed until it was finally renamed JOHN W. CULLEN in 1923.
The vessel ended up sunk near Frying Pan Island at Detour, Michigan. It was purchased by T. L. Durocher of DeTour with the intention of raising it and putting it back into service. However, the vessel was never raised and remains sunk approximately 600 feet north of Frying Pan Island, a few feet south of the Sainte Marie wreck.
The wreck lies in between 5 and 40 feet of water, just south of the Sainte Marie wreck, making it an interesting dive site for explorers. The hull is largely intact, but all machinery, including the boiler, engine, and sand dredging equipment, has been salvaged.
Due to its location close to shore and north of the entrance to DeTour passage, the wreck is generally protected from wave action and is diveable in almost all weather conditions, making it a good alternative dive site when the open lake (Lake Huron) is too rough.
The wreck of JOHN W. CULLEN is accessible from shore at a nearby park in DeTour, Michigan. It has Lat/Long Coordinates of Latitude: 45º 59.351’ North and Longitude: 83º 53.792’ West.
