Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: John E. Potts
- Type: wooden schooner
- Year Built: circa 1856
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Fletcher’s Wharf, Detroit River
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A wooden cargo schooner used for general freight on the Great Lakes.
Description
By June 1895, she had been condemned as unseaworthy and had been laid up at Fletcher’s Wharf (Detroit River) for two years alongside the schooner George W.
History
Records for John E. Potts are sparse and lack official documentation. The vessel was built circa 1856, but details regarding her builder, length, and official number are not recorded.
Significant Incidents
- While moored and inactive, John E. Potts caught fire and burned to a total loss. She was empty at the time—carrying no cargo.
- The blaze likely consumed the hull while tied up alongside the dock.
- No casualties were reported; the vessel was uncrewed and already decommissioned.
Final Disposition
The schooner was destroyed by fire and disposed of; no salvage or subsequent reattachment to registry records. No hull remains are known, and the fire took place in a river setting rather than open lake.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known physical remains have been located. Given the river location and age, any wreck material likely decomposed or was removed.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”john-e-potts-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
John E. Potts was a mid-19th century wooden schooner that spent her final years condemned and docked on the Detroit River. In June 1895, while empty and inactive, she was destroyed by fire. No casualties were involved, but the ship burned completely and was removed from service. Her remains have not been identified, and the incident is minimally documented in surviving records.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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