E.M. Davidson (1871)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: E.M. Davidson
• Type: Wooden Schooner
• Year Built: 1871
• Builder:
• Dimensions: Length 125 ft (38.1 m); Beam 26 ft (7.9 m); Depth of hold 12 ft (3.7 m)
• Registered Tonnage:
• Location: Lake Michigan shoreline, Michigan
• Number of Masts: Two-masted

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The E.M. Davidson was a classic Great Lakes wooden schooner of the 1870s, built for general cargo trade. Schooners like the Davidson were versatile, inexpensive to build, and highly adaptable for carrying everything from lumber to grain. Her two-masted rig and moderate tonnage made her ideal for operating in the crowded and sometimes shallow harbours of the Great Lakes region.

Description

Launched in 1871, the E.M. Davidson spent most of her working life carrying bulk cargoes, likely lumber, coal, or grain, typical for schooners in that trade. She operated primarily around the ports of Lake Michigan, where she would have been a common sight among the hundreds of sail-driven merchant vessels.

On October 18, 1879, while attempting to ride out a storm, the Davidson was driven ashore by severe wind and waves. Initial reports suggested she could be refloated and salvaged. However, continued heavy weather pounded the hull, breaking up the vessel beyond recovery over subsequent days.

History

Declared a total loss after repeated storms battered her on the beach, the E.M. Davidson was stripped of usable fittings by salvors, and her hull was left to deteriorate along the shoreline. No lives were reported lost.

Significant Incidents

No formal modern survey has confirmed the remains of the E.M. Davidson. Her final resting place is presumed to have been near the beach where she first stranded on Michigan’s Lake Michigan shore.

Final Disposition

Declared a total loss after repeated storms battered her on the beach, the E.M. Davidson was stripped of usable fittings by salvors, and her hull was left to deteriorate along the shoreline. No lives were reported lost.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The E.M. Davidson is presumed to have deteriorated significantly since her loss, with no confirmed remains identified in modern surveys.

Resources & Links

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The E.M. Davidson is another example of the vulnerability of wooden schooners to the fierce and fast-changing storms of the Great Lakes. Though the vessel was considered salvageable after initially going aground, a series of subsequent storms quickly erased any hope of recovery. Her loss reflects the dangers of Great Lakes shipping during the transitional period from sail to steam, when many schooners met similar fates.