Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: General Grant
- Type: Wooden side-wheel steamer
- Year Built: 1864
- Builder: J. Monk in Sandusky, Ohio
- Dimensions: Approximately 110 ft × 22 ft × 7 ft; 153 gross tons
- Registered Tonnage: 153 gross tons
- Location: Detroit River, near Detroit, Michigan
- Official Number: 10 633
- Original Owners: Unknown
- Number of Masts: Not applicable
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A mid-19th-century wooden side-wheel steamer, designed for combined passenger and freight service along inland waterways and rivers.
Description
The General Grant featured a traditional wooden hull and dual paddle wheels—a hallmark of river and coastal steamers of the era. At roughly 110 ft long and 22 ft wide, she was modest in size but functional, rated at 153 gross tons and equipped to transport passengers and smaller freight packages along the Detroit River.
History
Constructed in 1864 during the golden age of paddlewheel steamers, the General Grant served regional traffic across the Great Lakes and connecting waterways. On 21 November 1876, she caught fire while navigating the Detroit River. Burned to a mere shell, the incident prompted her recovery: the hull was raised and initially preserved for possible reconstruction. However, assessments concluded she was too aged and deteriorated. By 1880, the vessel was formally abandoned—her potential renewal never realized.
Significant Incidents
- 21 November 1876: Caught fire while navigating the Detroit River, resulting in the hull being burned to a shell.
- Post-fire: The hull was raised and preserved, but ultimately deemed too deteriorated for reconstruction and abandoned by 1880.
Final Disposition
Following the fire, the hull was salvaged, stabilized, and laid up after early restoration efforts proved unfeasible. Deemed structurally unsalvageable, she remained in preservation limbo until abandonment four years later.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern archaeological rediscovery or wreck site information exists. The final resting place of the hull—whether in salvage yard, riverbed, or scrap area—remains undocumented.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”general-grant-us-19633″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
The General Grant‘s demise by fire on 21 November 1876 highlights both the vulnerabilities of wooden steamers to onboard fires and the determination of 19th-century preservation efforts, which nonetheless failed for her. Though her hull was briefly salvaged, the scrapping of any restoration work reflects her final role as a sentimental remnant rather than a restored vessel. Her fate illustrates the era’s transitional challenges—from steam innovation to obsolescence—within the Great Lakes maritime landscape.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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