Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Galena
- Type: Wooden-hulled propeller steamer (steam barge)
- Year Built: 1857
- Builder: Luther Moses, Cleveland, Ohio
- Dimensions: 193 ft × 30 ft × 12 ft; 709 gross tons
- Registered Tonnage: 709 gross tons
- Location: North Point Reef, near Thunder Bay, Lake Huron
- Coordinates: 45.007667° N, -83.249833° W
- Official Number: 10148
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A steam barge—designed to haul bulk freight like lumber while towing additional barges (consorts), typical of mid-19th-century Great Lakes steam commerce.
Description
The Galena measured 193 ft in length and displaced 709 gross tons. She featured a wooden hull and steam propulsion, built for heavy timber transport. Her structure allowed for towing smaller barges in addition to carrying lumber within her hold—maximizing freight efficiency.
History
Commissioned in 1857 during an economic surge in Great Lakes timber transport, Galena carried lumber from northeastern Michigan sawmills to Chicago and other industrial centers. On 25 September 1872, during a storm in Thunder Bay near North Point Reef, the vessel ran hard aground on the reef. The violent impact and high seas caused rapid structural failure, breaking her into scattered wreckage. All crew aboard perished—no one survived.
Significant Incidents
- 25 September 1872: The Galena ran aground on North Point Reef during a storm, leading to the loss of the entire crew.
Final Disposition
The shipwreck remains scattered across North Point Reef. Debris is intermingled with other wrecks in the reef’s shallow waters (about 5–16 ft / 1.5–5 m deep). Her machinery was partly salvaged, and other wreckage lay in place for decades thereafter.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Identified and documented during NOAA and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary surveys in the early 2000s. The wrecksite is visible today with components like boiler parts, framing timbers, and other structural remains scattered across the reef.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”galena-us-10148″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
The Galena stands as a poignant example of steam-barge lumber trade gone awry. Her deadly grounding in 1872 claimed the lives of all aboard and added to the storied history of North Point Reef wrecks. Her remains, preserved in shallow water, are now part of an underwater museum attracting researchers and offering insights into maritime technology, cargo transport, and Great Lakes storm hazards.
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: Galena
- Official Number: 10148
- Vessel Type: Wooden-hulled propeller steamer (steam barge)
- Built: 1857 by Luther Moses, Cleveland, Ohio (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, thunderbay.noaa.gov)
- Dimensions: 193 ft × 30 ft × 12 ft; 709 gross tons (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Cargo at Loss: Lumber (approx. 272,000 board feet) (nmsthunderbay.blob.core.windows.net)
- Date Lost: 25 September 1872
- Location: Ran hard aground on North Point Reef, near Thunder Bay, Lake Huron (en.wikipedia.org)
- Circumstance: Bound from Alpena to Chicago, she was caught in a storm and driven onto the reef, breaking apart quickly. Entire crew lost—no survivors. (thunderbay.noaa.gov)
Vessel Type
A steam barge—designed to haul bulk freight like lumber while towing additional barges (consorts), typical of mid-19th-century Great Lakes steam commerce.
Description
The Galena measured 193 ft in length and displaced 709 gross tons. She featured a wooden hull and steam propulsion, built for heavy timber transport. Her structure allowed for towing smaller barges in addition to carrying lumber within her hold—maximizing freight efficiency. (nmsthunderbay.blob.core.windows.net, greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
History
Commissioned in 1857 during an economic surge in Great Lakes timber transport, Galena carried lumber from northeastern Michigan sawmills to Chicago and other industrial centers. On 25 September 1872, during a storm in Thunder Bay near North Point Reef, the vessel ran hard aground on the reef. The violent impact and high seas caused rapid structural failure, breaking her into scattered wreckage. All crew aboard perished—no one survived. (thunderbay.noaa.gov)
Final Disposition
The shipwreck remains scattered across North Point Reef. Debris is intermingled with other wrecks in the reef’s shallow waters (about 5–16 ft / 1.5–5 m deep). Her machinery was partly salvaged, and other wreckage lay in place for decades thereafter. (nmsthunderbay.blob.core.windows.net)
Located By & Date Found
Identified and documented during NOAA and Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary surveys in the early 2000s. The wrecksite is visible today with components like boiler parts, framing timbers, and other structural remains scattered across the reef. (nmsthunderbay.blob.core.windows.net)
Notations & Advisories
North Point Reef is a well-known shallow-water hazard—too many wrecks deposited there. The Galena site is marked in maps of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and is occasionally dived by experienced teams monitoring structural stabilization and reef ecology. Navigators have long avoided the reef due to these wrecks. (thunderbay.noaa.gov)
Resources & Links
- NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary – overview of Galena wreck
- Sanctuary condition reports detailing the steam barge wreckage at North Point (sanctuaries.noaa.gov)
- NOAA shipwrecks list (Wikipedia) – Galena entry and GPS coordinates (45.007667 N, –83.249833 W) (en.wikipedia.org)
Conclusion
The Galena stands as a poignant example of steam-barge lumber trade gone awry. Her deadly grounding in 1872 claimed the lives of all aboard and added to the storied history of North Point Reef wrecks. Her remains, preserved in shallow water, are now part of an underwater museum attracting researchers and offering insights into maritime technology, cargo transport, and Great Lakes storm hazards.
Suggested Keywords: steam barge, lumber transport, North Point Reef wreck, Thunder Bay diving site, 1872 storm loss
Categories:
- Great Lakes shipwrecks
- Lake Huron wrecks
- steam cargo vessels
- mass-loss storm wrecks