City of Tawas US 4391

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: City of Tawas
• Type: Wooden-hulled schooner-barge, sloop-rigged
• Year Built: 1864
• Builder: Arnold shipyard (Joseph P. Arnold)
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: ~290 GRT
• Location: Broke ashore near St. Joseph, Michigan
• Coordinates: unknown
• Official Number: 4391
• Original Owners: Local freighter ownership
• Number of Masts: Single mast

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A schooner-barge designed to carry bulk goods (iron ore, coal, grain) and to be pushed or towed by steam-powered vessels. Reinforced for towing yet capable of minimal auxiliary sail thanks to its sloop rig.

Description

The City of Tawas was a wooden-hulled schooner-barge, primarily used for transporting bulk goods across the Great Lakes. Its design allowed it to be towed by steam vessels while also being equipped for limited sailing capabilities.

History

• 1864–1868: Enrolled in Detroit registry; initially operated under local freighter ownership.
• 1865: Re-measured to 290 GRT.
• 1867: Received major rebuild in Detroit, including rig conversion to barkentine style.
• 1870: Grounded on Colchester Shoal (Lake Erie), but refloated and continued service.
• 1874 (5 Dec): Ashore and wrecked at North Manitou Island, but again salvaged.
• 1877 (30 Oct): Final wreck—driven ashore near St. Joseph loaded with iron ore.

Significant Incidents

• Grounded on Colchester Shoal in 1870 but refloated.
• Wrecked at North Manitou Island in 1874 but salvaged.
• Final wreck on 30 October 1877 near St. Joseph, Michigan.

Final Disposition

Caught in a gale or strong currents, City of Tawas drove onto a bar off St. Joseph. The hull broke apart under wave stress and was declared a total loss. No salvage appears documented for the remains or cargo.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck location is known through documented reports but has not been archaeologically surveyed. It’s presumed that the fragmented hull lies in shallow waters along the Michigan shoreline near St. Joseph, with little intact structure remaining.

Resources & Links

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The City of Tawas exemplifies the challenges of late 19th-century bulk ore shipping on Lake Michigan. Surviving earlier groundings, her career ended under load when she struck a shoal south of St. Joseph. Though structurally lost, she stands as a case study of the risks faced by wooden schooner-barges in shoal-laden harbours and channel approaches. The absence of casualties suggests a successful evacuation, even as the vessel itself was unrecoverable.