Herald C 75203 (Jennie Briscoe)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Jennie Briscoe; later Herald
• Type: Wooden steam barge (later a propeller scow)
• Year Built: 1870
• Builder: Campbell & Owen, Detroit, Michigan
• Dimensions: Length: 85 ft (25.9 m); Beam: 22 ft (6.7 m); Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 82.59 tons
• Location: Grosse Ile, Detroit River, Michigan; Port Stanley, Ontario, Lake Erie
• Official Number: 75203

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Jennie Briscoe was a small, steam-powered wooden barge designed for river and lake transport of bulk cargo. As was common in the early 1870s, such vessels offered greater maneuverability than sail-powered scows and were often used in riverine systems like the Detroit River. Following its rebuild as the Herald, it was listed as a propeller scow—suggesting continued use in low-draft cargo operations.

Description

The Jennie Briscoe was a modest but typical example of early wooden steam barges on the Great Lakes. Her quick sinking in the Detroit River following a collision with Free State cost one life and highlighted the congestion of mid-19th-century river traffic. Salvaged and rebuilt as Herald, the vessel’s later stranding at Port Stanley closed her operational chapter. Though neither wreck has been located, both events are well-documented and demonstrate the risks faced by small lake steamers in the transitional era between wood and steel hulls.

History

• 1870, August 26: While navigating near Grosse Ile, Michigan, the Jennie Briscoe collided with the steam propeller Free State in the Detroit River and sank. One fatality occurred, and the vessel was declared a total loss. Capt. Francis Tufts was in command at the time.
• 1871: The wreck was salvaged and sold. It was rebuilt and renamed Herald, listed thereafter as a propeller vessel.
• 1877: Still carried on the U.S. registry under its new name and configuration.
• 1883: The Herald stranded at Port Stanley, Ontario (north shore of Lake Erie) and was wrecked permanently.

Significant Incidents

• Initial loss: Sank following a collision with Free State in 1870, with one life lost.
• Post-rebuild: Re-entered service as Herald, wrecked at Port Stanley in 1883.
• Fate: Declared total loss at both events; no known remains today.

Final Disposition

No known rediscovery or underwater survey of either wreck site. The 1870 sinking occurred in a busy, shallow section of the Detroit River, where salvage was likely extensive. The 1883 Port Stanley site was likely dismantled or eroded.

Current Condition & Accessibility

None currently noted at either Grosse Ile or Port Stanley locations.

Resources & Links

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The Jennie Briscoe was a modest but typical example of early wooden steam barges on the Great Lakes. Her quick sinking in the Detroit River following a collision with Free State cost one life and highlighted the congestion of mid-19th-century river traffic. Salvaged and rebuilt as Herald, the vessel’s later stranding at Port Stanley closed her operational chapter. Though neither wreck has been located, both events are well-documented and demonstrate the risks faced by small lake steamers in the transitional era between wood and steel hulls.