Chicago No. 1

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Chicago No. 1
• Type: Wooden Propeller Steamer
• Year Built:
• Builder:
• Dimensions: Length 130-180 ft (39.6-54.9 m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Off North Fox Island, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: 45°28'N, 85°56'W

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Chicago No. 1 was a wooden-hulled propeller-driven freighter or package steamer, likely built in the mid-19th century to serve the busy Lake Michigan corridor between Chicago, Green Bay, Milwaukee, and the Straits.

Vessels of this type and name pattern were often company-owned line boats (No. 1, No. 2, etc.), suggesting it was part of a fleet. These ships typically ranged from 130 to 180 feet in length, with enclosed freight decks and staterooms above, powered by a single screw propeller and low-pressure steam engine.

Description

On August 24 (likely 1882), the Chicago No. 1 was underway on Lake Michigan, in the vicinity of North Fox Island, when a fire broke out onboard. The details of the incident are sparse, but the following is recorded:

• The vessel burned completely to the water’s edge, indicating a total structural loss
• All crew survived, suggesting either orderly evacuation or rescue by nearby vessels
• No mention of cargo was made in initial reports; vessel may have been in light trim or general freight service

Fires aboard steamers were common and often devastating, especially if caused by boiler sparks, coal bunker ignition, or galley fires. Wooden superstructures and volatile cargoes often led to rapid loss.

History

On August 24 (likely 1882), the Chicago No. 1 was underway on Lake Michigan, in the vicinity of North Fox Island, when a fire broke out onboard. The details of the incident are sparse, but the following is recorded:

• The vessel burned completely to the water’s edge, indicating a total structural loss
• All crew survived, suggesting either orderly evacuation or rescue by nearby vessels
• No mention of cargo was made in initial reports; vessel may have been in light trim or general freight service

Fires aboard steamers were common and often devastating, especially if caused by boiler sparks, coal bunker ignition, or galley fires. Wooden superstructures and volatile cargoes often led to rapid loss.

Significant Incidents

• Fire broke out on August 24, 1882, leading to total loss of the vessel.
• All crew members were saved, indicating successful evacuation or rescue.
• No cargo details were reported, suggesting the vessel may have been in light trim.

Final Disposition

• Vessel: Burned to hull level; presumed sank or drifted post-destruction
• Casualties: None reported – crew saved
• Cargo: Unknown
• Wreck Site: Not located; may lie offshore west or northwest of North Fox Island, submerged and heavily deteriorated

Current Condition & Accessibility

• No confirmed wreck site of the Chicago No. 1 has been identified.
• Potential search area exists in 50–120 ft (15–36 m) depths west and southwest of North Fox Island.
• Water clarity in the area supports sonar and photogrammetry efforts, but decades of degradation and possible breakup may hinder identification.
• A burned wooden hull might present as a low debris field, possibly buried under lakebed sediment or zebra mussel-covered.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”chicago-no” title=”References & Links”]

The destruction of Chicago No. 1 by fire adds another unresolved loss to the Fox Islands region, a mid-lake corridor with numerous unsurveyed wrecks. The lack of casualties is a rare positive note in what otherwise would have been a catastrophic financial loss for her owners. She now joins the ranks of “Unlocated Burned Wrecks – Lake Michigan (Upper Basin)” in the Shotline Diving archive.