Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: H.C. Potter
- Type: Schooner-barge
- Year Built: 1868
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length 144 ft (43.9 m); Beam 26 ft (7.9 m); Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Pointe aux Barques, Michigan
- Number of Masts: Three
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The H.C. Potter was a wooden lumber barge — a schooner-barge built to haul timber products across the upper Great Lakes. It was designed to be towed behind larger steamers or propeller-driven freighters, providing extra cargo capacity.
Description
The H.C. Potter was a three-masted schooner-barge of typical Great Lakes design of the 1860s, with a deep hold for timber cargo, straight sides, and a bluff bow. These barges had minimal accommodations, no engine, and were towed under sail or bare poles by a tug or propeller freighter.
History
Built in 1868, the H.C. Potter operated primarily in the lumber trade, moving cut timber and logs from northern Michigan ports to distribution points further south. On 26 November 1891, she was under tow by the propeller Oswegatchie, along with two other barges. A severe northeast gale struck while the tow was off Oscoda, Michigan. In the heavy seas, H.C. Potter broke free of her tow lines and was driven by wind and waves all the way down the coast to Pointe aux Barques (sometimes called Pointe Aux Huron in period reports), a distance of roughly 80 km (50 miles). She eventually stranded on shore but was reported to be salvaged afterward. There were no loss-of-life reports connected to this incident.
Significant Incidents
- 26 November 1891: The H.C. Potter broke free from tow lines during a severe northeast gale and stranded at Pointe aux Barques.
Final Disposition
H.C. Potter was driven ashore but later recovered and returned to service. She was not permanently lost in this storm. Her final fate is not fully recorded in contemporary sources, but no later loss records appear, indicating she likely continued operating after salvage.
Current Condition & Accessibility
There is no current confirmed wreck site for the H.C. Potter, as she was salvaged and did not remain sunk.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”h-c-potter-1868″ title=”References & Links”]
The H.C. Potter’s 1891 near-wreck is a testament to the hazards of late-season lumber barge tows on the Great Lakes. Her drift in a northeast gale and stranding at Pointe aux Barques illustrates the power of Great Lakes storms and the vulnerability of schooner-barges under tow. Her recovery and continued service underline the durability and economic value of these wooden vessels in the 19th-century lumber industry.
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(s): H.C. Potter
- Former names: None recorded
- Registration number(s): Not conclusively documented
- Year built and launched: 1868
- Vessel measurements: Approx. 43.9 m length (144 ft), typical beam for a lumber barge of the period ~7.9 m (26 ft)
- Date lost: 26 November 1891
Vessel Type
The H.C. Potter was a wooden lumber barge — a schooner-barge built to haul timber products across the upper Great Lakes. It was designed to be towed behind larger steamers or propeller-driven freighters, providing extra cargo capacity.
Description
The H.C. Potter was a three-masted schooner-barge of typical Great Lakes design of the 1860s, with a deep hold for timber cargo, straight sides, and a bluff bow. These barges had minimal accommodations, no engine, and were towed under sail or bare poles by a tug or propeller freighter.
History
Built in 1868, the H.C. Potter operated primarily in the lumber trade, moving cut timber and logs from northern Michigan ports to distribution points further south. On 26 November 1891, she was under tow by the propeller Oswegatchie, along with two other barges. A severe northeast gale struck while the tow was off Oscoda, Michigan. In the heavy seas, H.C. Potter broke free of her tow lines and was driven by wind and waves all the way down the coast to Pointe aux Barques (sometimes called Pointe Aux Huron in period reports), a distance of roughly 80 km (50 miles). She eventually stranded on shore but was reported to be salvaged afterward. There were no loss-of-life reports connected to this incident.
Final Dispositions
H.C. Potter was driven ashore but later recovered and returned to service. She was not permanently lost in this storm. Her final fate is not fully recorded in contemporary sources, but no later loss records appear, indicating she likely continued operating after salvage.
Located By & Date Found
There is no current confirmed wreck site for the H.C. Potter, as she was salvaged and did not remain sunk.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Vessels Index (BGSU)
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
Conclusion
The H.C. Potter’s 1891 near-wreck is a testament to the hazards of late-season lumber barge tows on the Great Lakes. Her drift in a northeast gale and stranding at Pointe aux Barques illustrates the power of Great Lakes storms and the vulnerability of schooner-barges under tow. Her recovery and continued service underline the durability and economic value of these wooden vessels in the 19th-century lumber industry.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Schooner-barge
- Lumber trade
- 19th century
- Great Lakes storms
- Tow vessel
- Michigan shipwreck incidents
- Pointe aux Barques
- Salvage