Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: MICHAEL GROH
- Type: Steambarge
- Year Built: 1867
- Builder: Quayle & Martin, Cleveland, Ohio
- Dimensions: 120.4 ft (36.7 m); Beam: 23.8 ft (7.3 m); Depth of hold: 8.6 ft (2.6 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 289.91
- Location: Miner's Castle, near Pictured Rocks, Munising, Michigan
- Coordinates: Not precisely recorded
- Official Number: 17572
- Original Owners: Michael Groh & Thomas Manning, Cleveland, Ohio
- Number of Masts: 1
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The MICHAEL GROH was a typical wooden Great Lakes steambarge of the late 19th century, used for carrying bulk cargoes, especially lumber, around the upper lakes. Featuring a single screw propeller, modest deck structures, and one mast to support cargo handling gear, she was representative of the transition from sail to steam.
Description
Launched in 1867 at Cleveland, the MICHAEL GROH worked across the Great Lakes in the lumber and package freight trades. She experienced numerous mishaps during her career, reflecting the challenging conditions on the lakes.
History
Key events:
- 1869: Two collisions in Lake Michigan, one with L. IRWIN
- 1872: Collision with schooner S.H. KIMBERLY at Cleveland
- 1874: Broke wheel on Detroit River
- 1877: Reported leaking on Lake Michigan
- 1882: Rebuilt and reboilered at Muskegon, MI, dimensions changed to 141.5 x 25.7 x 10.7 ft
- 1882: Collision with schooner JOHN M. HUTCHINSON
- 1883: Ashore at Muskegon, refloated and repaired at Wolf & Davidson in Chicago
- Numerous ownership changes through the 1880s and early 1890s
On 22 November 1895, while carrying lumber, she stranded near Miner’s Castle in a storm on Lake Superior. The hull broke in two, the rudder was lost, and the ship was abandoned. Underwriters took over the wreck, and a salvage attempt followed on 30 November 1895 using the tugs F.W. GILLET and W.B. CASTLE. However, she was declared a total loss, and her documents were surrendered in March 1896.
In 1988, a side-scan sonar search by Fred Stonehouse did not locate remains off Miner’s Castle, suggesting the wreck may have broken up or been buried.
Significant Incidents
NOTMARs & Advisories
No active Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) apply to this site, but caution is always advised around submerged or scattered wreckage in the Pictured Rocks area.
Located By & Date
Never positively located since her 1895 loss; presumed destroyed.
Final Disposition
Final Location: Miner’s Castle, near Pictured Rocks, Munising, Michigan, Lake Superior
Date Lost: 22 November 1895
How Lost: Stranded, broke in two, rudder lost, driven ashore in storm
Final Cargo: Lumber
Coordinates: Not precisely recorded
Depth: Unknown; believed destroyed
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown; the site has not been confirmed. It is believed the MICHAEL GROH is either heavily broken up or deeply buried near shore in shallow water.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”michael-groh-us-17572″ title=”References & Links”]
The MICHAEL GROH’s loss is emblematic of the dangers faced by wooden steambarges during the lumber boom on the upper Great Lakes. Her long history of collisions, rebuilds, and mishaps reflects the constant hazards of Great Lakes navigation in the late 19th century.
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.
Identification & Site Information
- Name: MICHAEL GROH
- Official Number: 17572
- Year Built: 1867
- Type: Steambarge
- Hull Material: Wood
- Builder: Quayle & Martin, Cleveland, Ohio
- Original Owner: Michael Groh & Thomas Manning, Cleveland, Ohio
- Number of Decks: 1
- Number of Masts: 1
- Propulsion: Screw
- Length: 120.4 feet (36.7 metres)
- Beam: 23.8 feet (7.3 metres)
- Depth: 8.6 feet (2.6 metres)
- Gross Tonnage: 289.91
- Net Tonnage: 209.74
Final Disposition
- Final Location: Miner’s Castle, near Pictured Rocks, Munising, Michigan, Lake Superior
- Date Lost: 22 November 1895
- How Lost: Stranded, broke in two, rudder lost, driven ashore in storm
- Final Cargo: Lumber
- Coordinates: Not precisely recorded
- Depth: Unknown; believed destroyed
Vessel Type Description
The MICHAEL GROH was a typical wooden Great Lakes steambarge of the late 19th century, used for carrying bulk cargoes, especially lumber, around the upper lakes. Featuring a single screw propeller, modest deck structures, and one mast to support cargo handling gear, she was representative of the transition from sail to steam.
History
Launched in 1867 at Cleveland, the MICHAEL GROH worked across the Great Lakes in the lumber and package freight trades. She experienced numerous mishaps during her career, reflecting the challenging conditions on the lakes.
Key events:
- 1869: Two collisions in Lake Michigan, one with L. IRWIN
- 1872: Collision with schooner S.H. KIMBERLY at Cleveland
- 1874: Broke wheel on Detroit River
- 1877: Reported leaking on Lake Michigan
- 1882: Rebuilt and reboilered at Muskegon, MI, dimensions changed to 141.5 x 25.7 x 10.7 ft
- 1882: Collision with schooner JOHN M. HUTCHINSON
- 1883: Ashore at Muskegon, refloated and repaired at Wolf & Davidson in Chicago
- Numerous ownership changes through the 1880s and early 1890s
On 22 November 1895, while carrying lumber, she stranded near Miner’s Castle in a storm on Lake Superior. The hull broke in two, the rudder was lost, and the ship was abandoned. Underwriters took over the wreck, and a salvage attempt followed on 30 November 1895 using the tugs F.W. GILLET and W.B. CASTLE. However, she was declared a total loss, and her documents were surrendered in March 1896.
In 1988, a side-scan sonar search by Fred Stonehouse did not locate remains off Miner’s Castle, suggesting the wreck may have broken up or been buried.
NOTMARs & Advisories
No active Notices to Mariners (NOTMARs) apply to this site, but caution is always advised around submerged or scattered wreckage in the Pictured Rocks area.
Located By & Date
Never positively located since her 1895 loss; presumed destroyed.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unknown; the site has not been confirmed. It is believed the MICHAEL GROH is either heavily broken up or deeply buried near shore in shallow water.
Resources & Links
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Ships Database
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Fred Stonehouse Shipwreck Surveys
- NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (regional research context)
- •Save Ontario Shipwrecks
Conclusion
The MICHAEL GROH’s loss is emblematic of the dangers faced by wooden steambarges during the lumber boom on the upper Great Lakes. Her long history of collisions, rebuilds, and mishaps reflects the constant hazards of Great Lakes navigation in the late 19th century.
Keywords
Michael Groh, Steambarge, Lake Superior Shipwreck, Pictured Rocks, Lumber Trade, Great Lakes Maritime History, Munising, Quayle & Martin