Goderich (Minnesetunk)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Goderich (Minnesetunk)
• Type: Steamer (Sidewheel)
• Year Built: 1834
• Builder: Canada Company
• Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
• Registered Tonnage: 200 tons
• Location: Detroit River near Malden, Ontario

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Steamer (Sidewheel) – early Canadian-built wooden sidewheel steamship designed for mixed freight and passenger service along the Lake Huron and Detroit River corridor.

Description

• Hull Material: Wood
• Tonnage (old style): 200 tons
• Capacity: 250 tons
• Engine Type: Low-pressure steam
• Number of Cylinders: 1
• Horsepower: 45 hp
• Propulsion: Sidewheel

History

Built by the Canada Company in 1834 at Goderich, Ontario, the Minnesetunk was one of the earliest steam-powered vessels in Upper Canada. She was specifically constructed to serve the coastal passenger and freight route between Goderich and Sandwich (now Windsor), Ontario — an important early transportation corridor on Lake Huron and the Detroit River.

In July 1839, the Minnesetunk collided with the steamer Erie near Malden, Ontario, and sank in the Detroit River. Following the wreck, she was reportedly renamed Goderich, but it’s unclear whether the original hull was salvaged or if the name transfer reflected a re-registration or planned rebuild.

By 1841, the vessel’s engine and boiler were advertised for sale, suggesting that salvage of machinery occurred, but no definitive record confirms the fate of the hull itself.

Significant Incidents

• Date: July 1839
• Cause: Collision with the steamer Erie
• Location: Near Malden (Amherstburg), Ontario, Detroit River
• Outcome: Sunk; machinery salvaged; hull status unknown

Final Disposition

The Minnesetunk sank in July 1839 due to a collision with the steamer Erie near Malden, Ontario. The vessel was reported sunk, with its machinery salvaged by 1841, but the status of the hull remains unknown.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No confirmed modern discovery or underwater location of the wreck site has been reported.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”goderich-minnesetunk” title=”References & Links”]

The Minnesetunk is a historically significant but poorly documented early Canadian steam vessel. Its short operational history marks the transition from sail to steam on the Upper Lakes. The loss in 1839 and subsequent sale of machinery reflect early salvage practices and the experimental nature of early steamboat design. Whether the hull of the Minnesetunk/Goderich remains intact underwater or was later dismantled remains unknown.