Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Jed US 125590(Maplegrove, Cherokee)

Explore the history of the Cherokee, a wooden bulk freighter that served the Great Lakes from 1889 until its demolition in 1936.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Cherokee (later MAPLEGROVE, JED)
  • Type: Bulk Freighter
  • Year Built: 1889
  • Builder: Martin P. Lester
  • Dimensions: 208.7 ft (63.6 m); Beam: 35.7 ft; Depth of hold: 14.5 ft
  • Registered Tonnage: 1002.85 tons (gross); 749.34 tons (net)
  • Location: Fort William Harbor, Ontario
  • Official Number: 126590
  • Original Owners: M. P. Lester et al., Curtis & Brainard, Edward Glynn, Connelly, Good, Otter Navigation Co., Canada Steamship Lines
  • Number of Masts: 3 (varied later to 2)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type: Bulk Freighter

Description

The Cherokee, later known as MAPLEGROVE and JED, was a wooden-hulled bulk freighter built in 1889. It was primarily used for the transportation of lumber, coal, and ore across the Great Lakes.

History

The Cherokee was built by Martin P. Lester in Marine City, Michigan. It underwent several ownership changes and modifications throughout its operational life, including a significant rebuild in 1891 that added a second deck. The vessel was involved in multiple incidents, including groundings and collisions, which were common for wooden freighters of that era.

Significant Incidents

  • 1893: Grounded near Sugar Island; released by tug MERRICK.
  • 1906: Grounded in collision with CHIPPEWA on Canadian border.
  • 1920: Sank in Welland Canal after ramming lock gates; raised.

Final Disposition

In 1936, the JED was deliberately removed and dynamited by the Canadian government after being stranded and abandoned since 1931.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck of the JED no longer exists as it was destroyed in 1936. Prior to its demolition, it had been abandoned for several years.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”jed-us-125590maplegrove-cherokee” title=”References & Links”]

The Cherokee serves as a historical example of the wooden-hulled bulk freighters that were prevalent in the late 19th century, highlighting the transition from wooden to steel vessels in maritime trade.

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.

Shipwreck Report: Cherokee (1889) — Also known as MAPLEGROVE, JED

Vessel Identification & Profile

  • Name: Cherokee (later MAPLEGROVE, JED)
  • Official Number: 126590
  • Year Built: 1889
  • Builder: Martin P. Lester
  • Master Carpenter: M. P. Lester
  • Build Location: Marine City, Michigan
  • Vessel Type: Bulk Freighter
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Decks: 1 (varied during rebuilds)
  • Masts: 3 (varied later to 2)

Machinery and Power

  • Engine Type: For-and-Aft Compound
  • Cylinders: 2 (25″ and 50″ x 40″)
  • Boilers: 1 (11’4″ x 16′ firebox, 124 psi)
  • Power: 575 horsepower at 86 rpm
  • Manufacturer: Phoenix Iron Works, Port Huron, MI (1889)
  • Propellers: 1

Dimensions

  • Original Length: 208.7 ft
  • Beam: 35.7 ft
  • Depth: 14.5 ft (original); varied during rebuilds
  • Tonnage (gross): 1002.85 tons
  • Tonnage (net): 749.34 tons

Ownership & Registration Chronology

  • 1889: M. P. Lester et al., Marine City, MI
  • 1896–1903: Curtis & Brainard / Webster S. Brainard et al., Toledo, OH
  • 1911: Edward Glynn, Saginaw, MI
  • 1917–1918: Connelly, Good, Otter Navation Co., Seal Navation Co. (Buffalo & New York)
  • 1919: Sold Canadian, renamed MAPLEGROVE; Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal

Operational History & Modifications

  • 1889: Enrolled at Port Huron for lumber, coal, and ore trade
  • 1891: Rebuilt Marine City; 2 decks, 1302.62 gross tons
  • 1893: Grounded near Sugar Island; released by tug MERRICK
  • 1906: Grounded in collision with CHIPPEWA on Canadian border
  • 1911: Rebuilt in Saginaw; reduced to 1 deck, 2 masts, remeasured to 1117.84 gross / 636.3 net tons
  • 1920: Sank in Welland Canal after ramming lock gates; raised
  • 1921: Renamed JED
  • 1923: Underwent extensive repairs

Final Disposition

  • Date: 1936
  • Location: Fort William Harbor, Ontario, Lake Superior
  • Cause: Deliberately removed and dynamited by Canadian government after being stranded and abandoned since 1931

Historical Significance
The Cherokee (later MAPLEGROVE and JED) exemplifies the late 19th-century wooden-hulled bulk freighter used extensively in Great Lakes ore and coal trade. Its multiple groundings, rebuilds, and eventual abandonment illustrate the hard life and gradual obsolescence of wooden freighters amid a transition to steel hulls. Its final destruction in 1936 marked the end of a nearly five-decade career.

Source References

  • C. Patrick Labadie Collection
  • American Bureau of Shipping
  • Edward J. Dowling Collection (University of Detroit – Mercy)
  • William MacDonald Collection (Dossin Great Lakes Museum)
  • Newspaper Archives
  • H. G. Runge Collection (Milwaukee Public Library)
  • Loudon G. Wilson
  • Lorne Joyce

Keywords and Categories

  • Region: Lake Superior, Welland Canal, Sault Ste. Marie, Saginaw
  • Vessel Type: Wooden Bulk Freighter
  • Cause of Loss: Abandonment and demolition
  • Material: Wood
  • Operational Period: 1889–1936
  • Alias Names: MAPLEGROVE, JED
jed-us-125590maplegrove-cherokee 1935-07-16 14:51:00