Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Mary Miller

Explore the wreck of the Mary Miller, a wooden schooner that caught fire and sank in Lake Huron in 1871.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Mary Miller
  • Type: Wooden schooner
  • Year Built: 1867
  • Builder:
  • Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
  • Registered Tonnage:
  • Location: Lakeport, Michigan
  • Original Owners: J. B. Scott of Detroit

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Type: Wooden schooner

Description

The Mary Miller was a wooden schooner built in 1867. The exact dimensions of the vessel are not recorded. It was homeported in Lakeport, Michigan.

History

The Mary Miller was owned by J. B. Scott of Detroit. The vessel’s registry was surrendered on December 31, 1878, at Port Huron, with an annotation indicating a total loss on November 1, 1871.

Significant Incidents

  • Loss Date: November 1, 1871
  • Cause of Loss: Recorded as ‘unreported’ in the file, but vessel documentation indicates a total-loss event occurred on that date.
  • Likely Cause: The schooner caught fire while docked at Lakeport. It was intentionally pushed away from the pier after the fire broke out, allowing it to drift into deeper water where it eventually burned out and sank.
  • Reported Fatalities: None

Final Disposition

The burned hull of the Mary Miller was abandoned and later sank. The registry was surrendered seven years later at Port Huron, likely upon confirmation that she remained irretrievable in her burned, sunken state.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck site of the Mary Miller is likely located in Lake Huron’s nearshore zone, typical of small 19th-century schooners. It is not located within a designated NOAA marine sanctuary.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”mary-miller” title=”References & Links”]

Though officially listed as ‘unreported,’ the Mary Miller’s demise was very likely due to a dockside fire that consumed her while moored at Lakeport. The registry surrender in Port Huron confirms she was a total loss.

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.

Built 1867 – Wrecked November 1, 1871

Identification & Official Outcome

  • Type: Wooden schooner (exact dimensions not recorded)
  • Built: 1867
  • Homeport: Lakeport, Michigan
  • Registry Surrendered: December 31, 1878, at Port Huron annotated “total loss – 11-1-71.”
  • Loss Date: November 1, 1871
  • Cause of Loss: Recorded as “unreported” in the file, but vessel documentation indicates a total-loss event occurred on that date.

Likely Cause: Waterfront Fire

Swayze’s file suggests the schooner caught fire while docked at Lakeport. She was then cut loose and allowed to drift into deeper water, where she eventually burned out and sank.

  • Master: Capt. King
  • Owner: J. B. Scott of Detroit
  • Incident Narrative: The schooner was intentionally pushed away from the pier after fire broke out—owner and captain took the precaution of clearing the burning vessel into the open water
  • Reported Fatalities: None

Wreck & Registry Disposition

  • The burned hull was abandoned and later sank
  • The registry was surrendered seven years later at Port Huron, likely upon confirmation that she remained irretrievable in her burned, sunken state

Data & Verification Links

Sanctuary / Preserve Status

  • Not located within a designated NOAA marine sanctuary; her wreck site likely lies in Lake Huron’s nearshore zone, typical of small 19th-century schooners

Newspaper Search Strategy

Since detailed archival newspaper content isn’t accessible directly here, use these targeted queries in Newspapers.com or local archives:

  • “Mary Miller” schooner fire Lakeport Nov 1871
  • Capt King schooner fire Lakeport Michigan November 1871
  • J B Scott schooner burned Lakeport dock Nov 1871

Suggested local newspapers to review:

  • Detroit Free Press – early November 1871
  • Port Huron Times – late 1871 maritime notices
  • Lakeport (or St. Clair County) weekly gazette

These sources often reported dockside vessel fires and might describe firefighting efforts, scuttling tactics, or damage estimates.

Summary & Next Steps

Though officially listed as “unreported,” the Mary Miller’s demise was very likely from a dockside fire that consumed her while moored at Lakeport. The registry surrender in Port Huron confirms she was a total loss.

Proposed Actions:

  • Conduct a search in local newspapers, particularly from November 1871, for eyewitness or rescue details
  • Explore Port Huron registry and insurance records for related filing on the fire
  • Map potential wreck location in Lake Huron’s nearshore waters for future heritage interest
mary-miller 1871-11-01 15:53:00