Fashion (1847)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Fashion
• Type: wooden sidewheel steamer
• Year Built: 1847
• Builder: Algonac, Michigan
• Dimensions: 160 ft (48.77 m) X 25 ft (7.62 m); Depth: 8.5 ft (2.59 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 324 32/95 tons
• Location: Off Bayfield, Ontario
• Original Owners: William Caverly and Joseph Raymond, Detroit

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

A wooden sidewheel steamer, Fashion was built as a single-decked passenger and freight vessel for regional service on the lower Great Lakes. She operated extensively in cross-border trade and passenger transport from the late 1840s through the mid-1850s.

Description

• Hull Material: Wood
• Decks: 1
• Propulsion: Sidewheel (paddle steamer)
• Length: 160 ft (48.77 m)
• Beam: 25 ft (7.62 m)
• Depth: 8.5 ft (2.59 m)
• Tonnage (Old Style): 324 32/95 tons

Her powerplant was significant enough to be repurposed into several subsequent vessels, indicating durable machinery of the period.

History

• 1847, Sep 13: First enrolled at Detroit, Michigan; began operating between Sandusky, OH and Port Huron, MI.
• 1847, Nov 3: Broke a shaft while towing another vessel.
• 1848: Operated out of Buffalo, NY, including the Merchants & Millers Line. Sunk after collision with wreck of COLUMBUS at Dunkirk, NY.
• 1849: Collided with schooner ATLAS on Lake Erie.
• 1850–1852: Ran regular routes between Buffalo, Sandusky, and Toledo. Chartered seasonally.
• 1853: Repeated mechanical failures and lightning damage. Engine shaft failure and repairs common.
• 1854: Numerous incidents including running aground, mechanical failures, and sinking in the St. Clair River after collision with BUFFALO. Raised and repaired by year’s end.
• 1855–1856: Operated under ownership of William Caverly and Joseph Raymond, Detroit.
• 1856, Nov: Went ashore off Bayfield, Ontario, Lake Huron, and was ultimately abandoned.

Significant Incidents

• 1847: Broke a shaft while towing another vessel.
• 1848: Sunk after collision with wreck of COLUMBUS at Dunkirk, NY.
• 1849: Collided with schooner ATLAS on Lake Erie.
• 1853: Repeated mechanical failures and lightning damage.
• 1854: Sinking in the St. Clair River after collision with BUFFALO.

Final Disposition

The vessel was considered a total loss after going ashore in Lake Huron and subsequently abandoned. However, her machinery—especially the engine—was salvaged and reused in at least four later vessels: CANADIAN (1853), DOVE (1868), MILTON D. WARD (1870), and WATER WITCH.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No record of modern archaeological discovery or formal dive surveys exists. The presumed wreck site remains undocumented.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”fashion-1847″ title=”References & Links”]

The Fashion (1847) is emblematic of early Great Lakes steamboats—frequently repaired, reused, and repurposed. Her final abandonment off Bayfield concluded nearly a decade of service marked by mechanical unreliability and multiple collisions. Though her hull was lost, the ship’s engine lived on, marking her as a transitional vessel in steam propulsion history on the lakes.