Shotline Diving

Elsie Nell – Lake Huron Tug Shipwreck (1935)

Explore the wreck of the Elsie Nell, a wooden fishing tug that caught fire and sank in 1935, with no casualties reported.

SHOTLINE WRECKDB /Lake Huron /Drummond Isl. /Elsie Nell
No photo on file
Needs location

Elsie Nell

propeller steam tug, fishing · Lost 1935
Lost
27 Aug 1935
Cause
fire
Lives lost
Not recorded
Depth
Not recorded

Reportedly lies near Drummond Isl., Lake Huron.

Created 11 Aug 2026 Revised 25 Oct 2026 Last source added 20 May 2026 16 facts · 4 sources
No position on file

Tombstone

Best value from the sources on record.
Type
propeller steam tug, fishing
Propulsion
steam
Hull
Wood
Builder
Peach Bros., Peach Bros., Sturgeon Bay, WI
Official no.
136927
Dimensions
62 × 16 ft · 41 GT · 28 net
Owner at loss
William Miller
Lost
27 Aug 1935
Cause
fire
More from the record (2)
Duplicate of
Reason: Case-variant duplicate name normalized/merged during bulk hygiene pass (case-insensitive name match, compatible waterbody/loss_year).; Kept site id: 5ef0f5e6-3a0c-59a6-80f5-f4c95edd4f3e; Prior research status: duplicate
Status note
research_status auto-set to needs_location 2026-10-24 (was NULL; legacy shotline_wrecks import). Rule: canonical location present -> confirmed, else needs_location.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Elsie Nell
  • Type: Wooden propeller-driven fishing tug
  • Year Built: 1901
  • Builder: Peach Brothers, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
  • Dimensions: 62 ft (18.9 m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage: 41 gross tons / 28 net tons
  • Location: Pigeon Cove near Drummond Island
  • Official Number: 136927
  • Original Owners: William Miller, Bayfield, Wisconsin; homeported out of Duluth

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type

Wooden propeller-driven fishing tug.

Description

Description

The Elsie Nell was a wooden fishing tug built in 1901, measuring 62 feet in length and 16 feet in beam. It was registered at 41 gross tons and 28 net tons.

History

History

Owned by William Miller and homeported out of Duluth, the Elsie Nell served in the fishing industry until its loss in 1935.

Significant Incidents

Significant Incidents

  • August 27, 1935: Caught fire while docked in Pigeon Cove, Lake Huron, leading to its total loss.

Final Disposition

Final Disposition

The hull was destroyed in situ and sank; no records exist of salvage or re-entry into service. The registry was canceled following the loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck remains submerged, and its current condition is unknown. Further investigation may reveal if any remnants are visible.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”elsie-nell-us-135927″ title=”References & Links”]

Summary

The wooden fishing tug Elsie Nell, built in 1901 and owned by William Miller, burned and sank in Pigeon Cove off Drummond Island on August 27, 1935. Though no one was hurt, the vessel was burned to the waterline and declared a total loss. Further primary source research could reveal crew identities, fire cause, and physical remnants of the wreck.

🔒

Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.

Join Shotline to read more →

Great Lakes Ships

greatlakeships.org vessel records: registry, build, ownership, loss.
Great Lakes Shipsgreatlakeships.org
Nothing linked from GLS
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.

David Swayze Shipwreck File

Swayze Great Lakes shipwreck file and its source citations.
David Swayze Shipwreck Fileshotlinediving.com
Swayze file citations

Sources cited by the Swayze entry

bb mpl mv slh

BGSU Historical Collections of the Great Lakes

Great Lakes Vessels Index: registry, rig, name changes, owners, disposition.
Historical Collections of the Great Lakesbgsu.edu
Nothing linked from BGSU
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.

Marmus · Marine Museum of the Great Lakes

Ship lists held by the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes, Kingston: the Mills List (Canadian Coastal and Inland Steam Vessels, 1809–1930) and the Wallace List.
Mills Listgreatlakesmuseum.ca Wallace Listgreatlakesmuseum.ca
Nothing linked from Marmus
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.

Newspapers

Contemporary and later newspaper accounts.
Maritime History of the Great Lakesmaritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
Nothing linked from Newspapers
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.

Webpages

Club write-ups, dive-site pages and online compilations.
Wrecks and Reefswrecksandreefs.com Warren Lo Photographywarrenlophotography.com
Nothing linked from Webpages
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.
Nothing linked from Stewards
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.

Archives (Paperless)

Archival documents, registers, books and private collections.
Nothing linked from Archives
No record from this source is linked to this wreck yet.

Photo gallery

Period photos, illustrations, site and survey imagery. Photos, files and video come from this wreck’s Paperless folder.
No photos yet

Files

Original documents behind the sources. Same Paperless folder as photos and video.
No files attached yet.

Video and 3D

Dive footage, ROV runs and 3D models, each with diver or surveyor credit.
No video linked
SHOTLINE DIVING
Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River wreck research archive.
This record
Elsie Nell · Needs location
Created 11 Aug 2026 · revised 25 Oct 2026
4 sources · last added 20 May 2026
Positions are reported, not survey fixes. Do not use for dive planning unless marked high confidence. Report a correction through the Shotline contact page.