John Miner – Lake Huron Schooner Shipwreck (1902)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: John Miner
• Type: Three-masted wooden schooner
• Year Built: 1866
• Builder: J. Stupinski, Detroit, Michigan
• Dimensions: 134 × 26 × 10.4 ft (40.8 × 7.9 × 3.2 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 273.32 gross tons
• Location: 2 miles west of Point Aux Barques Light, Lake Huron
• Official Number: 12786
• Number of Masts: 3

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Built in 1866, the John Miner was a deep-beamed, heavy-capacity schooner constructed for large cargo hauls—lumber, coal, or bulk grain—across the Great Lakes. With three masts, she demonstrated the later era of sail-powered freight before the steamships fully dominated.

Description

The John Miner was designed for significant cargo capacity, allowing her to transport up to 18,000 bushels of goods. Her construction reflects the shipbuilding techniques of the mid-19th century, emphasizing durability and efficiency for the Great Lakes trade.

History

• 1866: Enrolled and sprung a leak in Lake Huron, repaired in Saginaw.
• 1868: Registered in Milwaukee, listed briefly as a bark.
• 1869: Lost sails in Lake Huron; ran ashore at Hammond Bay, later refloated.
• 1871: Sold to J. Higgie of Chicago.
• 1873: New deck fitted.
• 1881: Reported leaking in Lake Huron.
• 1883: Aground on White Shoals, Lake Michigan, freed by tug Mocking Bird.
• 1900: Owned by S.R. Chamberlain.
• 1902 (19 Oct): Stranded near Point Aux Barques—final incident.

Significant Incidents

• The wreck is listed in the List of shipwrecks in 1902, recorded as hardened ashore on Point Aux Barques Reef (2 miles west of the light) and lost as a total wreck. (Wikipedia, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• According to Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, the John Miner matched dimensions 134×26×10 and sank 19 October 1902 at the location cited. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Final Disposition

During a strong gale, the John Miner, bound from Harbor Springs to Detroit with a hardwood cargo, was driven ashore and wrecked on the shoal-strewn shallows near Point Aux Barques Light. Her hull broke up, and she was declared a total loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• Condition: Presumed broken and salvaged where possible; wooden debris likely scattered or buried.
• Accessibility: Not officially documented as a dive site; nearby shoals are navigationally hazardous.

Resources & Links

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The John Miner exemplifies a transitional era where large wooden sailing cargo vessels still operated into the dawn of steam. Her loss at Pointe Aux Barques highlights the enduring risk of shoal navigation along Lake Huron’s treacherous coastline, even in the 20th century.