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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name(s): Liberty
• Year Built: 1889
• Built At: Fort Howard, Wisconsin
• Final Location: Grand Marais, Minnesota, Lake Superior
• Date Lost: 6 July 1919
• Cause of Loss: Fire — burned to a total loss in harbour
• Coordinates: 47° 44′ 45″ N, 90° 20′ 15″ W

Vessel Type

Sidewheel steamer originally configured for passenger and cargo transport, later converted to a propeller-driven vessel for varied commercial use including fish, oyster, and small freight trades.

Description

• Hull Material: Wood
• Decks: 1
• Length: 29.5 m (96.8 ft)
• Beam: 5.5 m (18 ft)
• Depth: 1.5 m (5 ft)
• Tonnage:
  • 1889 (as built): 95.53 gross / 69.98 net tons
  • Post-1891 rebuild: 85.5 gross / 53.19 net tons
  • Post-1894 rebuild: 143.55 gross / 126.16 net tons
  • Post-1917 rebuild: 168.12 gross / 100.56 net tons
  • 1918 configuration: 149.86 gross / 92 net tons

Power

• Propulsion: Initially sidewheel (1889), later converted to screw (1891)
• Engine: HPNC (High Pressure Non-Condensing), 16.5″ x 18″, 150 hp, 125 rpm
• Boiler: 5′6″ × 8′6.5″ firebox, 109 psi steam pressure
• Boiler Manufacturer: D.M. Barnes, Fort Howard, WI
• Engine Rebuilder: John Duncan Iron Works, Green Bay, WI

History

• 1889: Launched April 24; enrolled June 26 at Milwaukee. Burned in Green Bay September 16 but was rebuilt.
• 1891: Converted to propeller in Milwaukee and re-engined. Ownership transferred to W.A. Freeman.
• 1894–1898: Underwent extensive rebuilds in Manitowoc and Milwaukee; joined fish trade operations.
• 1899–1903: Owned by A. Booth Packing Co. and later multiple Chicago and Michigan-based owners; engaged in various regional trades but spent periods inactive due to low business.
• 1903–1909: Ownership changed several times; ran routes including Sylvan Beach–Grand Haven.
• 1911–1917: Further ownership changes; caught in ice near Two Harbors in 1917.
• 1917–1918: Rebuilt at Duluth twice, significantly increasing gross tonnage.
• 1919: Operated as a passenger vessel under Scandia Fish Co.; burned to total loss at Grand Marais, MN on July 6. Final documents surrendered at Duluth on September 23.

Final Disposition

Liberty burned in Grand Marais harbour on 6 July 1919 and was a total loss. No fatalities reported.

Located By & Date Found

No formal underwater site identification has been published.

Notmars & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Vessels – BGSU Database
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• C. Patrick Labadie Collection
• Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
• Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
• Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit – Mercy
• Dossin Great Lakes Museum Collection

Conclusion

The Liberty (1889) is a notable example of a late 19th-century wooden steamer that adapted repeatedly to the evolving commercial needs of the Great Lakes. Over a thirty-year career, she served in fish packing, freight, and passenger roles under a variety of owners. Her repeated rebuilds reflect the era’s economic pressures and technical flexibility, and her fiery end in 1919 marked the close of an era for smaller wooden sidewheelers on Lake Superior.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

• Sidewheel steamer, fish trade, wooden hull, Lake Superior, Grand Marais, passenger service, 19th-century rebuilds, fire loss, propeller conversion, Duluth, historic vessel.

liberty-us-141011 1919-07-06 12:04:00