Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: MONTEZUMA
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1848
- Builder: L. Goler, Cape Vincent, New York
- Dimensions: Not fully recorded; tonnage varied from 237–325 tons over career
- Registered Tonnage: 276 40/95 (old style, ~278 tons)
- Location: Approximately 30 miles SSE of Thunder Bay Island, Lake Huron
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: 16421
- Original Owners: H.S. Halstead (Chicago); prior owners included Merrick Line and Fowler & Esseltyne
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Two-masted wooden schooner, sail-powered, single deck. Built in 1848 and extensively rebuilt multiple times, reflecting extended use in the grain and cargo trade. Operated along major Lake Erie–Lake Michigan routes.
Description
Launched at Cape Vincent, NY, in 1848, MONTEZUMA initially traded wheat from Sandusky to Buffalo. She underwent multiple rebuilds: in 1856, 1861 (lengthened), and 1865 (re-measured). By the 1860s, she was heavily engaged in the Chicago District grain trade.
History
Her service was marked by numerous mishaps: grounding in 1860 (Fighting Island), 1866 (Oak Orchard Creek), and 1866 (Grand Haven); collisions (Detroit River, 1863); and dismasting in 1871 (Lake Erie). Despite these, she continued operating into 1871 under Halstead of Chicago.
On 3 October 1871, in heavy night weather on Lake Huron, she collided with the schooner HATTIE JOHNSON. The MONTEZUMA foundered about 30 miles SSE of Thunder Bay Island. No formal record survives of survivors or salvage.
Significant Incidents
- Grounding in 1860 (Fighting Island)
- Grounding in 1866 (Oak Orchard Creek)
- Grounding in 1866 (Grand Haven)
- Collision in 1863 (Detroit River)
- Dismasting in 1871 (Lake Erie)
Final Disposition
MONTEZUMA sank rapidly after the collision in deep water. No recovery or wreckage reported. Likely broke apart or was buried by sediment typical of deep Lake Huron losses.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Wreck site has not been discovered or documented archaeologically. Presumed still missing.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”montezuma-us-16421″ title=”References & Links”]
Crew names and fate are not documented in surviving reports. Search recommended via Find A Grave and Chronicling America.
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