Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: City of Kalamazoo
- Type: Passenger and freight propeller steamer
- Year Built: 1893
- Builder: South Haven, Michigan
- Dimensions: Length 161.7 ft (49.3 m); Beam 31.8 ft (9.7 m); Depth of hold 12.5 ft (3.8 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 729 gross / 563 net
- Depth at Wreck Site: 3.8 m / 12.5 ft
- Location:
- Official Number: 126949
- Original Owners: Williams Transportation Co., Oliver W. Norton, Chicago & South Haven Steamship Co., Greeling Brothers Co.
- Number of Masts: 0 (powered vessel)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Passenger and freight propeller steamer, built for excursion and commercial service between South Haven and Chicago during the height of Great Lakes regional passenger trade.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 2
- Number of Masts: 0 (powered vessel)
- Propulsion: Screw
- Engine Type: For-and-Aft Compound
- Cylinders: 2 (20″ & 40″ x 30″)
- Horsepower: 575 hp at 100 rpm
- Boiler: 11′ x 11′ Scotch marine boiler, 135 psi
- Propeller(s): 1
- Length: 49.3 metres / 161.7 feet
- Beam: 9.7 metres / 31.8 feet
- Depth: 3.8 metres / 12.5 feet
- Gross Tonnage: 729
- Net Tonnage: 563
The vessel featured steel arching after an overhaul in 1902, giving it added hull strength uncommon in earlier wooden passenger steamers.
History
The City of Kalamazoo was constructed for the Williams Transportation Co. of South Haven, Michigan, intended for passenger service to Chicago, including travel to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
- 1896, Nov 30: Burned at South Haven.
- 1902, Oct: Major overhaul at Shipowner’s Dry Dock Co., Chicago, including steel arches.
- 1906, Oct: Disabled at sea, later towed to port.
- 1907, May 17: Transported 124 pianos for Cable-Nelson Piano Co.
- 1909: Owned by Oliver W. Norton and subsequently by Chicago & South Haven Steamship Co.
- 1911, May: Suffered another fire in South Haven; later repaired in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
- 1911, Nov 11: Burned again to the waterline at Manistee, Michigan; converted into a barge.
- Post-conversion tonnage: 387 gross / 387 net.
- 1914, Oct 20: Operated by Greeling Brothers Co., Green Bay, Wisconsin.
- 1922, Nov 21: Officially abandoned, U.S. documents surrendered.
Significant Incidents
- 1896: Burned at South Haven.
- 1902: Major overhaul including steel arches.
- 1906: Disabled at sea.
- 1911: Suffered multiple fires.
- 1922: Officially abandoned.
Final Disposition
Burned multiple times and ultimately converted to a barge. She was completely abandoned by 1922, with no known wreckage or remains identified in current maritime records.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No wreckage confirmed or located.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”city-of-kalamazoo-us-126949″ title=”References & Links”]
City of Kalamazoo was typical of late 19th-century wooden passenger steamers that served both excursion and freight markets. Despite repeated reconstructions after catastrophic fires, the vessel’s design and resilience reflect a transitional period in Great Lakes shipping from wood to steel hulls. No confirmed wreckage remains, but its long operational history under various owners illustrates the evolving nature of passenger commerce on the Lakes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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