Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: FREE STATE
- Type: Propeller (steam screw)
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: Bidwell & Banta
- Dimensions: Length: 196 ft (59.7 m); Beam: 13.6 ft (4.1 m); Depth of hold: 13 ft (4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 768 27/95 tons
- Location: Gray's Reef, Lake Michigan, 10 miles west of Waugoschance Point
- Official Number: 9157
- Original Owners: Western Transportation Company
- Number of Masts: 1
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The FREE STATE was a wooden-hulled propeller steamship (often called a “canaller” type) built for bulk and package freight trade between Buffalo and Chicago. Like many propellers of the era, she was designed to handle a broad variety of cargo across the Great Lakes, featuring a robust hull and machinery suitable for the rough waters of the upper lakes.
Description
Launched in 1856, the FREE STATE worked primarily the Buffalo–Chicago route under the Western Transportation Company. Throughout her career she experienced multiple incidents, reflecting both her busy operations and the hazards of 19th-century lake transport:
- In October 1857, she broke her shaft near the Manitou Islands and required repairs at Buffalo.
- She collided with the schooner BEAVER on the Detroit River in September 1861, and later the same month lost her rudder and ran on the Buffalo breakwater.
- In September 1863, she went aground on the Detroit River alongside the propeller COMET.
- September 1866 saw her aground on Colchester Reef, Lake Erie, with subsequent large repairs and installation of a new fore-and-aft compound engine, raising her to 949.44 gross tons.
- In May 1870, she was beached above Port Huron after developing a leak.
- Later in 1870, she was involved in two serious collisions: sinking the scow C.G. MEISEL at Amherstburg, Ontario (with two fatalities), and later in September sinking the steam barge JENNIE BRISCOE at Grosse Isle, Detroit River (with one fatality).
- By June 1871, her machinery was disabled near Mackinaw.
History
Her final loss came on 30 September 1871. Outbound from Chicago carrying oats, wheat, flour, and broom corn, the FREE STATE grounded on White Shoals near Gray’s Reef, about 16 km (10 miles) west of Waugoschance Point, Lake Michigan, and broke up in heavy seas.
Significant Incidents
- October 1857: Broke her shaft near the Manitou Islands.
- September 1861: Collided with the schooner BEAVER and lost her rudder.
- September 1863: Went aground on the Detroit River.
- September 1866: Grounded on Colchester Reef, Lake Erie, and underwent major repairs.
- May 1870: Beached above Port Huron after developing a leak.
- 1870: Involved in collisions resulting in fatalities.
- June 1871: Machinery disabled near Mackinaw.
Final Disposition
- Final Location: Gray’s Reef, 10 miles west of Waugoschance Point, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 30 September 1871
- Final Cargo: Oats, wheat, flour, and broom corn
- How Lost: Grounded on White Shoals and broke up
Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed archaeological site or wreck remains documented in recent surveys.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”free-state-us-9157″ title=”References & Links”]
The FREE STATE represents a typical mid-19th-century Great Lakes wooden propeller steamship, combining bulk freight capabilities with early steam propulsion. Her active and eventful career, punctuated by collisions, mechanical failures, and ultimately a grounding, highlights the perils of Great Lakes navigation during the era.
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.
FREE STATE (1856, Propeller)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: FREE STATE
- Official Number: 9157
- Year Built: 1856
- Built at: Buffalo, New York
- Builder: Bidwell & Banta
- Vessel Type: Propeller (steam screw)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Number of Masts: 1
- Dimensions
- Length: 59.7 m (196 ft)
- Beam: 4.1 m (13.6 ft)
- Depth: 4 m (13 ft)
- Tonnage (old style): 768 27/95 tons
- Propulsion Type: Screw
- Engine: Compound engine (new fore & aft compound engine installed 1866)
Vessel Type Description
The FREE STATE was a wooden-hulled propeller steamship (often called a “canaller” type) built for bulk and package freight trade between Buffalo and Chicago. Like many propellers of the era, she was designed to handle a broad variety of cargo across the Great Lakes, featuring a robust hull and machinery suitable for the rough waters of the upper lakes.
History
Launched in 1856, the FREE STATE worked primarily the Buffalo–Chicago route under the Western Transportation Company. Throughout her career she experienced multiple incidents, reflecting both her busy operations and the hazards of 19th-century lake transport:
- In October 1857, she broke her shaft near the Manitou Islands and required repairs at Buffalo.
- She collided with the schooner BEAVER on the Detroit River in September 1861, and later the same month lost her rudder and ran on the Buffalo breakwater.
- In September 1863, she went aground on the Detroit River alongside the propeller COMET.
- September 1866 saw her aground on Colchester Reef, Lake Erie, with subsequent large repairs and installation of a new fore-and-aft compound engine, raising her to 949.44 gross tons.
- In May 1870, she was beached above Port Huron after developing a leak.
- Later in 1870, she was involved in two serious collisions: sinking the scow C.G. MEISEL at Amherstburg, Ontario (with two fatalities), and later in September sinking the steam barge JENNIE BRISCOE at Grosse Isle, Detroit River (with one fatality).
- By June 1871, her machinery was disabled near Mackinaw.
Her final loss came on 30 September 1871. Outbound from Chicago carrying oats, wheat, flour, and broom corn, the FREE STATE grounded on White Shoals near Gray’s Reef, about 16 km (10 miles) west of Waugoschance Point, Lake Michigan, and broke up in heavy seas.
Final Disposition
- Final Location: Gray’s Reef, 10 miles west of Waugoschance Point, Lake Michigan
- Date Lost: 30 September 1871
- Final Cargo: Oats, wheat, flour, and broom corn
- How Lost: Grounded on White Shoals and broke up
Located By & Date
No formal modern discovery documented.
NOTMARs & Advisories
None noted.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed archaeological site or wreck remains documented in recent surveys.
Resources & Links
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection
- Bowling Green State University Vessel Database
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- Lytle List
Conclusion
The FREE STATE represents a typical mid-19th-century Great Lakes wooden propeller steamship, combining bulk freight capabilities with early steam propulsion. Her active and eventful career, punctuated by collisions, mechanical failures, and ultimately a grounding, highlights the perils of Great Lakes navigation during the era.
Keywords: propeller, Lake Michigan, White Shoals, 19th-century shipping, wreck, Western Transportation Company
free-state-us-9157 1871-09-30 19:39:00