Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Millard Fillmore
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder: Unknown (likely Buffalo or Cleveland area)
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Depth at Wreck Site: 9 m / 30 ft
- Location: 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Rogers City, Lake Huron
- Coordinates: Not precisely charted
- Original Owners: Not conclusively documented, but likely regional lumber/coal shippers
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden two-masted schooner (often classified as a “storm pig” — a colloquial term for a small, cheaply built wooden freighter), iron-fastened.
Description
The Millard Fillmore was a typical mid-19th century wooden schooner, rigged for the Great Lakes trade, with iron fastenings and a modest cargo capacity. Exact dimensions are sparse, but vessels of her type usually measured about 30–35 metres (100–115 feet) in length and 6–7 metres (20–24 feet) in beam.
History
The Millard Fillmore worked in the bulk cargo trade, moving primarily coal, iron, and timber between Michigan, Ohio, and other Lake Huron ports. On 27 August 1891, she was bound from Mackinaw City, Michigan, to Cleveland, Ohio, when she began leaking about 6.4 km (4 miles) north of Rogers City. Despite attempts to save the vessel, she foundered in about 9 metres (30 feet) of water.
Significant Incidents
- No salvage effort was reported at the time of loss.
Final Disposition
The schooner went down intact, and it is believed she either broke apart later in storms or became buried in shifting sediment on the shallow lakebed.
Current Condition & Accessibility
There is no confirmed modern survey of the wreck site. Historical reports place the wreck in about 9 metres (30 feet) of water north of Rogers City. Local divers have periodically searched the area without a conclusive identification.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”millard-fillmore-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
The Millard Fillmore is a typical example of the thousands of wooden schooners lost on the Great Lakes in the 19th century. Its modest size, short working life, and loss in shallow water are characteristic of Great Lakes trade risks in the iron and timber era.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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