Maumee Valley – Lake Erie Schooner Shipwreck (1900)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Maumee Valley
• Type: Wooden three-masted schooner
• Year Built: 1868
• Builder: F. E. Bugbee
• Dimensions: 127 ft × 26 ft × 12 ft; 214 GRT / 203 NRT
• Registered Tonnage: 214 GRT / 203 NRT
• Location: Near Pelee Island, Lake Erie
• Official Number: 17992
• Number of Masts: Three

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Vessel Type: Wooden three-masted schooner

Description

The Maumee Valley was a wooden three-masted schooner built in 1868, primarily used for transporting coal across Lake Erie and Lake Huron routes.

History

The Maumee Valley spent over three decades carrying coal and bulk cargo across Lake Pelee and Huron routes. On November 22, 1900, she encountered a violent late-season storm off Pelee Island that drove her onto the shoals. She broke up quickly on the rocks, and all seven crew aboard perished.

Significant Incidents

• November 22, 1900: Driven aground by a gale-force storm near Pelee Island, resulting in the loss of all seven crew members.

Final Disposition

Declared a total loss after sinking on the shoal. No salvage is recorded—wreckage likely remains under shallow depths near the shoreline.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The wreck was reported shortly after the incident. No precise modern GPS coordinates or underwater survey data exist. No navigational markers mark the site, though the area around Pelee Island remains hazardous in late fall due to storms and shoals.

Resources & Links

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The Maumee Valley, a coal-carrying schooner built in 1868, foundered and sank near Pelee Island on 22 November 1900 during a violent storm. The disaster claimed all seven crew members and remains one of the bleakest losses on Lake Erie. Her wreck remains uncharted and serves as a solemn reminder of maritime hazards in early 20th-century bulk freight transport.