Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: C.H. Green
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1881
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Approx. 131 ft (40 m); Beam: Approx. 26 ft (8 m); Depth: Approx. 10 ft (3 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Approximately 250-300 tons
- Location: near Trenton, Michigan
- Number of Masts: Two-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden two-masted schooner, used extensively for bulk cargo such as lumber, coal, stone, and grain on the Great Lakes. Schooners of this size and rig were vital for regional transport into the early 20th century.
Description
The C.H. Green featured a standard Great Lakes schooner layout: fore-and-aft rig on two masts, a centreboard for shallow harbours, and a broad cargo hold suitable for bulk commodities. The deckhouse was minimal, with low cabins fore and aft, and heavy oak frames to support significant cargo weight.
History
Construction and Service
Launched in 1881, the C.H. Green served in the Great Lakes lumber and coal trades for several decades. By the 1920s, as steam-powered bulk carriers replaced schooners, vessels like the C.H. Green were gradually retired, laid up, or repurposed as storage barges.
Abandonment and Fire
By 1935, the C.H. Green was abandoned and grounded near Trenton, Michigan. On 24 August 1936, she caught fire under suspicious circumstances — contemporary accounts strongly suspected arson, possibly linked to scrapping or vagrancy around the abandoned hull. With no cargo aboard, the vessel burned to a total loss. There were no casualties.
Significant Incidents
- 1936: C.H. Green caught fire under suspicious circumstances, suspected arson.
Final Disposition
The burned-out hulk was left grounded and eventually removed or broken up, leaving no significant wreckage reported in modern surveys.
Current Condition & Accessibility
There is no “discovery,” as the vessel was destroyed above the waterline and subsequently removed.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”c-h-green-1881″ title=”References & Links”]
The C.H. Green is a clear example of how Great Lakes schooners outlived their commercial usefulness by the 1930s and were left to rot or be destroyed. Its apparent burning, most likely arson, marks a sad but common end for abandoned wooden freighters of that era. Though nothing remains today, its story is part of the broader transition from sail to steam on the Great Lakes.
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.
C.H. GREEN (Launched 1881)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Vessel Name: C.H. Green
- Registry: United States (likely documented at Cleveland or Detroit; no confirmed registration number)
- Year Built: 1881
- Hull Material: Wood
- Rig: Two-masted schooner
- Length: Approx. 40 m (131 ft) (typical for coal or lumber schooners of the period)
- Beam: Approx. 8 m (26 ft) estimated
- Depth: Approx. 3 m (10 ft) estimated
- Gross/Net Tonnage: Approximately 250–300 tons (based on sister ships)
- Date Lost: 24 August 1936
- Final Location: near Trenton, Michigan
Vessel Type
Wooden two-masted schooner, used extensively for bulk cargo such as lumber, coal, stone, and grain on the Great Lakes. Schooners of this size and rig were vital for regional transport into the early 20th century.
Description
The C.H. Green featured a standard Great Lakes schooner layout: fore-and-aft rig on two masts, a centreboard for shallow harbours, and a broad cargo hold suitable for bulk commodities. The deckhouse was minimal, with low cabins fore and aft, and heavy oak frames to support significant cargo weight.
History
Construction and Service
Launched in 1881, the C.H. Green served in the Great Lakes lumber and coal trades for several decades. By the 1920s, as steam-powered bulk carriers replaced schooners, vessels like the C.H. Green were gradually retired, laid up, or repurposed as storage barges.
Abandonment and Fire
By 1935, the C.H. Green was abandoned and grounded near Trenton, Michigan. On 24 August 1936, she caught fire under suspicious circumstances — contemporary accounts strongly suspected arson, possibly linked to scrapping or vagrancy around the abandoned hull. With no cargo aboard, the vessel burned to a total loss. There were no casualties.
Final Disposition
The burned-out hulk was left grounded and eventually removed or broken up, leaving no significant wreckage reported in modern surveys.
Located By & Date Found
There is no “discovery,” as the vessel was destroyed above the waterline and subsequently removed.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels (BGSU)
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Detroit Free Press Archives
Conclusion
The C.H. Green is a clear example of how Great Lakes schooners outlived their commercial usefulness by the 1930s and were left to rot or be destroyed. Its apparent burning, most likely arson, marks a sad but common end for abandoned wooden freighters of that era. Though nothing remains today, its story is part of the broader transition from sail to steam on the Great Lakes.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Keywords: C.H. Green, schooner, Trenton Michigan, ship fire, arson, abandoned vessel, 1936 loss
- Categories: Great Lakes Shipwrecks, Wooden Schooners, 20th Century Maritime Incidents, Michigan
- Glossary: schooner, abandoned, arson, grounded, constructive total loss