Hope US 71252

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Hope
• Type: Passenger ferry
• Year Built: 1870
• Builder: J. G. Campbell, Detroit, Michigan
• Dimensions: 95 ft × 25 ft × 8 ft
• Registered Tonnage: 180 (prior to rebuild), ~170 after rebuild
• Location: Lake Erie
• Official Number: 71252
• Original Owners: Detroit & Windsor Ferry Co. (1870-1895), International Ferry Co., Buffalo (1896-1921), Buffalo & Fort Erie Ferry Co. (1927)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Prospective Use: Passenger ferry
• Propulsion Evolution: Originally a sidewheel steamer; post-1880 rebuild retrofitted with screw propulsion.

Description

• Initial Engine: 24″ × 36″ steam engine from Detroit Locomotive Works (circa 1860)
• Post-Rebuild Engine: 16″ × 18″ engine from Kerr Bros., Walkerville, Ontario
• Vessel Measurements: Post-rebuild: 95 ft × 25 ft × 8 ft
• Tonnage: Gross registered tonnage: 180 (prior to rebuild), ~170 after rebuild

History

• Operated ferry routes between Detroit–Windsor and later Buffalo–Fort Erie, adapting to regional transit needs.
• Served into the early decades of the 20th century—evidence suggests activity through the 1910s and into the 1920s.

Significant Incidents

• 1880 Rebuild: Converted to screw propulsion and significantly refitted.
• Engine swap in 1880s: More economical, smaller engine fitted by Kerr Bros.

Final Disposition

• Method: Intentionally scuttled
• Timing & Location: Not specified in current records.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Scuttling Details: Date, location, and circumstances of the scuttling remain unknown.
• Registry & Regulatory Sources: Vessel registry files in Canadian and U.S. archives may hold scuttling notices or de-registration documentation.
• Newspaper Coverage: Buffalo and Detroit press (late 1920s–1930s) likely reported the end of Hope, including site specifics.
• Technical Drawings & Ferry Logs: Original plans and detailed vessel logs may exist in transport or ferry company collections.
• Local Maritime Museums / Archives: Buffalo, Fort Erie, and Detroit institutions and Coast Guard registries could hold legal and photographic evidence.

Resources & Links

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Hope was a reliable cross-border ferry vessel, upgraded from sidewheel to screw propulsion in 1880. She provided vital transport services for over half a century, licensed to carry 300 passengers by 1914. Her final fate—being scuttled—remains incompletely documented.

Recommended next steps: review ferry company archives, Canadian registry records, and Buffalo/Detroit newspaper archives (circa 1920s–1930s) to locate data on Hope‘s scuttling, including precise location and rationale.