Detroit (1837)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Detroit
• Type: Sidewheel Steamer
• Year Built: 1837
• Builder: Unknown – Likely Milwaukee-based
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: Approximately 250 Gross Tons
• Location: Just off Southport (modern-day Kenosha), WI
• Coordinates: N 42° 35.444′ / W 087° 48.737′
• Original Owners: General John Crawford

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Sidewheel steamer designed for shallow-water navigation, primarily operating in early Lake Michigan harbors.

Description

A small, light-draft wooden steam paddle vessel fitted for shallow-water harbors of early Lake Michigan. Designed to navigate bars and river mouths including Milwaukee and Racine harbors, often anchoring offshore to unload passengers and goods. She formed a critical part of early transportation routes, linking Chicago, Pike River, Root River (Racine), and Southport (Kenosha) with inland stagecoach routes from Detroit and Toledo.

History

There is considerable confusion involving three similarly named vessels operating in the 1830s:

• Steamer Detroit (built 1837 in Milwaukee, ~250 tons): Ran Michigan City–Milwaukee line. Commanded by Gen. John Crawford. Wrecked off Southport (Kenosha) in October 1837. (This is the focus vessel.)
• Schooner Detroit (also built 1837, Milwaukee, 67–109.91 tons): Wrecked at Fox Point, recovered, lost again off Gravelly Bay, Ontario, in 1842.
• Steamer Detroit (built 1833, Swan Creek, MI, 137.66 tons): Belonged to Detroit River Steam Navigation Co. May also be the vessel that wrecked at Southport.

Due to overlapping dates, it is possible either the 1833 or 1837 steamer was involved in the final wreck event described below.

Significant Incidents

• Date: October 25, 1837
• How: Grounded and abandoned in a snowstorm after anchor failure
• Location: Just off Southport (modern-day Kenosha), WI
• Circumstances:
  • Vessel ran out of wood fuel and was anchored off Kenosha
  • A sudden snowstorm broke her anchor, sending the vessel ashore
  • All passengers and cargo offloaded safely
  • Vessel abandoned

Final Disposition

The vessel was abandoned after grounding during a snowstorm, with no lives lost and all cargo safely offloaded.

Current Condition & Accessibility

As of now, the wreck is likely to have no remaining structure due to the passage of time and environmental conditions.

Resources & Links

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The steamer Detroit (1837) occupies an important place in Great Lakes maritime heritage, particularly as an early steamboat tied to regional expansion and port development. Though its wreck was not deadly, the vessel’s grounding highlights the vulnerability of early wooden steamers and the harsh unpredictability of autumn weather on Lake Michigan. The overlapping vessel names in the same time period underscore the challenges in 19th-century registry tracking, necessitating careful cross-referencing in archival research.