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
[shotline_reference_links slug=”e-m-davidson-1871″ title=”References & Links”]
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.
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: E.M. Davidson
- Year Built: 1871
- Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner
- Construction: Wood, two-masted
- Length: Approximately 38.1 m (125 ft) (estimated from typical schooners of the era)
- Beam: Estimated 7.9 m (26 ft)
- Depth of hold: Approx. 3.7 m (12 ft)
- Cargo at Loss: Not specified
- Final Location: Lake Michigan shoreline, Michigan
- Date of Loss: 18 October 1879
- Cause: Storm; driven ashore
Vessel Type Description
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.
History
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.
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.
Located By & Date
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.
NOTMARs & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Great Lakes Ships Database
- Save Ontario Shipwrecks
- Library and Archives Canada Ship Registration Index
- NOAA Shipwreck Database
Conclusion
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.
Keywords
E.M. Davidson, schooner, Lake Michigan, Great Lakes shipwreck, 19th-century maritime history, storm losses, salvage attempts
e-m-davidson-1871 1879-10-18 15:46:00