Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Menekunee
- Type: Schooner-barge
- Year Built: 1873
- Builder: John B. Martel
- Dimensions: Length: 172.7 ft (52.6 m); Beam: 32.6 ft (9.9 m); Depth of hold: 12.4 ft (3.8 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 588 tons (Gross), 558.6 tons (Net)
- Location: Near Frankfort, Michigan
- Official Number: 90765
- Original Owners: Menominee Barge Line Co., Loud & Co.
- Number of Masts: 3
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
MENEKAUNEE was a three-masted schooner-barge, built for the booming lumber and bulk cargo trades of the upper Great Lakes. Like other schooner-barges of its era, she combined the carrying capacity of a large schooner with the flexibility of being towed by steamers, extending her economic life well past that of many pure sail vessels.
Description
Launched in 1873 at Saugatuck, Michigan, MENEKAUNEE served the Menominee Barge Line Co. for more than a decade, transporting lumber and other bulk cargo between Lake Michigan ports. In 1886, ownership had passed to Loud & Co. of Oscoda, Michigan, placing her firmly in the regional lumber trade.
History
On 19 November 1886, while bound from Oscoda to Chicago with a cargo of lumber, MENEKAUNEE was under tow by the steamer MANISTIQUE. During a severe gale, she broke free of the towline near Frankfort, Michigan, was driven ashore, and wrecked. Seven of her crew were lost in the tragedy. The vessel quickly became a total loss.
Significant Incidents
- Wrecked near Frankfort, Michigan, on 19 November 1886; broken up in heavy seas and abandoned.
- Seven lives lost during the wreck.
Final Disposition
Wrecked near Frankfort, Michigan, on 19 November 1886; broken up in heavy seas and abandoned.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Likely disintegrated or buried in nearshore sands; no modern dive documentation is known.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”menekunee-us-90765″ title=”References & Links”]
MENEKAUNEE illustrates the vital role schooner-barges played in supporting the 19th-century lumber trade on the Great Lakes, while also reminding us of the inherent dangers of seasonal storms and the limits of towing technology in that period.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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