Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: A.R. Colborn
- Type: Wooden Steambarge
- Year Built: 1882
- Builder: Ralph C. Brittian Shipyard, Saugatuck, MI
- Dimensions: 129.9 ft (39.6 m) x 27.7 ft (8.4 m) x 9.5 ft (2.9 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 275.59 gross; 207.39 net
- Location: Unknown; registry struck 1922
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: 106071
- Original Owners: Ralph C. Brittian & A.R. Colborn (original), later multiple owners
- Number of Masts: 1
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The A.R. Colborn was a wooden-hulled steambarge launched in 1882 for service in the Lake Michigan lumber trade. Built at Saugatuck, Michigan, by Ralph C. Brittian Shipyard with master carpenter James N. Elliot, she was designed to carry up to 300,000 feet of lumber between Muskegon and Michigan City. Her steeple compound engine, supplied by Henry Bloecker & Co., was typical of Great Lakes steambarges of the era.
Description
The A.R. Colborn was a wooden-hulled steambarge launched in 1882 for service in the Lake Michigan lumber trade. Built at Saugatuck, Michigan, by Ralph C. Brittian Shipyard with master carpenter James N. Elliot, she was designed to carry up to 300,000 feet of lumber between Muskegon and Michigan City. Her steeple compound engine, supplied by Henry Bloecker & Co., was typical of Great Lakes steambarges of the era.
History
Launched April 18, 1882, the A.R. Colborn quickly entered service in the lumber trade. On September 8, 1882, she was burned off South Haven, MI, but was rebuilt at Saugatuck and returned to work. Re-rigged with an additional mast in 1883, she endured numerous incidents throughout her career, including strandings, boiler replacements, rebuilds, and collisions.
Ownership changed hands multiple times: Theodore Lutz (1888), George G. Oliver (1890), Marine Navigation Co. (1902), John M. Campbell (1910), and finally Douglass Transportation Co. (1910). The vessel was rebuilt in 1904 and collided with and was sunk by the propellers C.A. Black and Lillie the same year, later raised and repaired. After decades of service, the A.R. Colborn was abandoned in 1922, her documents surrendered.
Significant Incidents
- Burned off South Haven, MI, on September 8, 1882, and subsequently rebuilt.
- Re-rigged with an additional mast in 1883.
- Numerous incidents including strandings, boiler replacements, rebuilds, and collisions throughout her career.
- Collided with and was sunk by the propellers C.A. Black and Lillie in 1904, later raised and repaired.
Final Disposition
On April 28, 1922, the A.R. Colborn was officially abandoned. She had survived forty years of heavy use in the lumber trade, numerous groundings and rebuilds, but by the early 1920s, she was outdated compared to steel-hulled vessels. Her registry was struck, and her ultimate fate is listed as abandonment.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Condition: Unknown, presumed dismantled or scuttled.
Accessibility: Not applicable.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”a-r-colborn-us-106071″ title=”References & Links”]
The A.R. Colborn represents the hard-working steambarges of the Great Lakes lumber trade. Surviving fire, groundings, collisions, and multiple rebuilds, she served for four decades before being retired and abandoned in 1922. Her long career underscores the resilience of wooden steamers during a time of industrial growth and transition to steel.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
Other Names: None recorded
Official Number: 106071
Registry: United States
Vessel Type: Wooden Steambarge
Hull Material: Wood
Decks: 1
Builder: Ralph C. Brittian Shipyard, Saugatuck, MI
Master Carpenter: James N. Elliot
Year Built: 1882
Dimensions: 129.9 ft (39.6 m) x 27.7 ft (8.4 m) x 9.5 ft (2.9 m)
Tonnage: 275.59 gross; 207.39 net
Cargo Capacity: 300,000 ft lumber
Propulsion: Screw; steeple compound engine, 2 cylinders, 1 boiler, 1 propeller
Engine: 14″ & 32″ x 22″, 200 hp, 130 rpm by Henry Bloecker & Co., Grand Haven, MI (1882)
Owners: Ralph C. Brittian & A.R. Colborn (original), later multiple owners
Date of Loss: April 28, 1922
Final Disposition: Abandoned; documents surrendered
Location: Unknown; registry struck 1922
Casualties: None reported
Description
The A.R. Colborn was a wooden-hulled steambarge launched in 1882 for service in the Lake Michigan lumber trade. Built at Saugatuck, Michigan, by Ralph C. Brittian Shipyard with master carpenter James N. Elliot, she was designed to carry up to 300,000 feet of lumber between Muskegon and Michigan City. Her steeple compound engine, supplied by Henry Bloecker & Co., was typical of Great Lakes steambarges of the era.
History
Launched April 18, 1882, the A.R. Colborn quickly entered service in the lumber trade. On September 8, 1882, she was burned off South Haven, MI, but was rebuilt at Saugatuck and returned to work. Re-rigged with an additional mast in 1883, she endured numerous incidents throughout her career, including strandings, boiler replacements, rebuilds, and collisions.
Ownership changed hands multiple times: Theodore Lutz (1888), George G. Oliver (1890), Marine Navigation Co. (1902), John M. Campbell (1910), and finally Douglass Transportation Co. (1910). The vessel was rebuilt in 1904 and collided with and was sunk by the propellers C.A. Black and Lillie the same year, later raised and repaired. After decades of service, the A.R. Colborn was abandoned in 1922, her documents surrendered.
Final Disposition
On April 28, 1922, the A.R. Colborn was officially abandoned. She had survived forty years of heavy use in the lumber trade, numerous groundings and rebuilds, but by the early 1920s, she was outdated compared to steel-hulled vessels. Her registry was struck, and her ultimate fate is listed as abandonment.
Located By & Date Found
Not applicable. The vessel was abandoned; no wreck discovery recorded.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Condition: Unknown, presumed dismantled or scuttled.
Accessibility: Not applicable.
Conclusion
The A.R. Colborn represents the hard-working steambarges of the Great Lakes lumber trade. Surviving fire, groundings, collisions, and multiple rebuilds, she served for four decades before being retired and abandoned in 1922. Her long career underscores the resilience of wooden steamers during a time of industrial growth and transition to steel.
Resources & Links
- American Bureau of Shipping
- Donald V. Baut (private research collection)
- Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit – Mercy
- Great Lakes Register (BGSU)
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- William MacDonald Collection, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, Detroit
- Marine Directory, R. L. Polk Co., Detroit
- John E. Poole Notes, Bowling Green State University
- H. G. Runge Collection, Milwaukee Public Library
- Peter J. VanderLinden (private research notes)
NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: 106071
Coordinates: Unknown
Depth: Unknown
Location Description: Registry abandoned, April 28, 1922
Vessel Type: Wooden steambarge
Material: Wood
Dimensions: 129.9 ft × 27.7 ft × 9.5 ft; 275.59 gross tons
Condition: Abandoned
Cause of Loss: Obsolescence; abandoned
Discovery Date: Not applicable
Discovered By: N/A
Method: N/A
Legal Notes: Documents surrendered, April 28, 1922
Hazards: None
Permits Required: None
You must be logged in to post a comment.