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.
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: General Grant
- Former Names: None
- Official Number: 10 633 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, en.wikipedia.org)
- Date Built & Launched: 1864, by J. Monk in Sandusky, Ohio (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Measurements: Approximately 110 ft × 22 ft × 7 ft; 153 gross tons (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Type: Wooden side-wheel steamer – mixed-use for passengers and package freight (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Cargo at Loss: Not recorded
- Date Lost: 21 November 1876
- Place of Loss: Detroit River, near Detroit, Michigan (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com, commons.wikimedia.org)
- Circumstance: Destroyed by fire; hull burned to a shell. Raised afterward and preserved with intentions for rebuilding, but ultimately abandoned by 1880 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
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 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
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.
Located By & Date Found
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.
Notations & Advisories
No navigational chart markers or lighted hazards are associated with this site, as the hull was removed and likely taken ashore. Presently, there is no hazard advisory connected to her remains.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – General Grant (fire loss in Detroit River, 1876) (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
Conclusion
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.
Suggested Keywords & Glossary Terms: side-wheel steamer, paddle-wheel, Detroit River fire, hull preservation, steam freight, 19th-century riverine transport
Suggested Categories:
Great Lakes shipwrecks | Detroit River losses | steam vessel disasters | paddlewheel steamers