Discovery (c1820)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Discovery
• Type: Two-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: circa early 1820s
• Builder:
• Dimensions:
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Likely below the rapids on the St. Mary’s River or in eastern Lake Superior
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Small two-masted wooden schooner used in inland freight routes.

Description

The Discovery operated primarily between tribal outposts, trading posts, and ports on Lake Superior and Lake Huron, including Sault Ste. Marie, prior to the canal opening. To avoid the rapids at the St. Mary’s River, vessels often risked running the rapids instead of offloading cargo at the portage, which saved time and cost but incurred significant peril.

History

The Discovery was built in the early 1820s and was engaged in trade routes across the Great Lakes. The vessel’s operational history is limited, with no records of ownership or crew manifest surviving. The archival Great Lakes Shipwreck Files list Discovery under 1829 with a notation of ‘wrecked??’ and reference to the risky bypass of the St. Mary’s Rapids.

Significant Incidents

• Loss Date: Fall of 1829 (exact day unrecorded; registry entry lists ‘wrecked ??’ under that season).
• Loss Location: Likely below the rapids on the St. Mary’s River or in eastern Lake Superior.
• Incident: During passage through the rapids or in nearby shallow waters, Discovery is recorded in loss registers as ‘wrecked’—presumed capsized or broken up by strong current or submerged hazards.
• Casualties: Not documented—presumed none or unrecorded; crew outcome is unknown.

Final Disposition

The Discovery was declared wrecked in registry and is presumed a total loss. The archival records provide limited information, and no further details about the vessel’s fate have been preserved.

Current Condition & Accessibility

As of now, the condition of the wreck is unknown, and it remains unexamined due to the lack of specific location data. The site may be difficult to access due to the nature of the waters in which it was lost.

Resources & Links

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The Discovery serves as a rare example of early lake navigation risks before formal portage infrastructure existed. If you’d like help accessing pre-1850 Great Lakes vessel registries, fur-trade archives, or territorial portage records, assistance is available to reconstruct more of Discovery‘s story.