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.
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
- Name(s): City of Kalamazoo
- Official Number: 126949
- Year Built: 1893
- Built At: South Haven, Michigan
- Final Disposition: Abandoned (documents surrendered November 21, 1922)
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.
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.
Located By & Date Found
No wreckage confirmed or located.
Notmar & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Donald V. Baut Shipping Notes
- Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit – Mercy
- Peter J. VanderLinden Files
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
- Inland Lloyds’ Marine Directory
- Great Lakes Register
- William MacDonald Collection, Dossin Great Lakes Museum
Conclusion
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.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Keywords: passenger steamer, South Haven, Great Lakes ferry, steamboat, fire loss
- Categories: Wooden steamers, Lake Michigan vessels, excursion steamers, World’s Fair transportation
- Glossary:
- For-and-Aft Compound: Engine configuration with two cylinders of differing diameters arranged fore and aft.
- Scotch Boiler: A type of marine fire-tube boiler used for steam propulsion.