3DShipwrecks just added a remarkable Lake Michigan shipwreck to the 3DShipwrecks.org database and website: the Appomattox, a true record-holder in Great Lakes maritime history.
At 320 feet in length, Appomattox was the largest wooden bulk freighter ever built on the Great Lakes. Constructed in West Bay City, Michigan, she was a product of the James Davidson Company, a shipbuilder renowned for pushing wooden ship construction to its absolute limits long after most builders had transitioned to steel. Like other Davidson vessels, Appomattox was heavily reinforced with steel strapping, a testament to the company’s innovative engineering approach.
The steamer typically operated in tandem with her 324-foot schooner barge consort, Santiago. Together, they hauled iron ore southbound from Lake Superior ports and returned north with coal—an operating pattern that mirrors today’s modern ore carriers.
In November 1905, Appomattox and Santiago ran aground off North Point, north of the Milwaukee entrance, amid heavy fog compounded by industrial smoke. Tugs were able to free Santiago, but Appomattox was left hard aground with a broken bottom. Soon after, the Great Storm of 1905 swept through the region, sealing the vessel’s fate.
Although wrecking crews made repeated salvage attempts, the extensive damage to the hull prevented the ship from holding water, and the effort was eventually abandoned. Salvagers later removed the machinery, leaving the massive wooden hull behind. Today, the remains of Appomattox form a well-known dive and snorkel site, and stand as a lasting tribute to Davidson’s bold engineering.
The new 3D model of Appomattox was created from 4,880 high-resolution (30-megapixel) images, captured during the 2025 field season. This project was a collaboration between the Wisconsin Historical Society and the Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society (GLSPS), made possible through generous gift funding from the Racine Lighthouse and Maritime Preservation Society.
🔗 Explore the 3D model here:
https://3dshipwrecks.org/shipwreck-appomattox/