Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

N. Star US 52204

Explore the uncharted wreck of the N. Star, a 1868 wooden scow-schooner lost in September 1878, with no recorded casualties.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: N. Star
  • Type: Wooden scow-schooner – two-masted, shallow-draft cargo vessel
  • Year Built: 1868
  • Builder: J. Lamott, Bangor, Michigan
  • Dimensions: ~55 × 17 × 4 ft (16.8 × 5.2 × 1.2 m); ~28 gross / 27 net tons
  • Registered Tonnage: 28 gross / 27 net tons
  • Location: Not specified
  • Coordinates: Not available
  • Official Number: 52204
  • Original Owners: Not specified
  • Number of Masts: Two

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The N. Star is classified as a wooden scow-schooner, characterized by its two masts and shallow draft, making it suitable for cargo transport in coastal waters.

Description

Built in 1868 by J. Lamott in Bangor, Michigan, the N. Star measured approximately 55 feet in length, 17 feet in beam, and 4 feet in depth. It had a registered tonnage of about 28 gross tons and 27 net tons.

History

The N. Star was officially reported wrecked in September 1878, but the specific circumstances surrounding its loss remain unclear. The vessel was registered through Port Huron, MI, but the surrender record does not specify the location of the wreck.

Significant Incidents

  • Incident: The N. Star was reported wrecked in September 1878.
  • Casualties: No casualties were recorded.

Final Disposition

The registry for the N. Star was surrendered on December 12, 1881, due to wreck conditions. The exact nature and location of the wreck were not detailed, leaving the site uncharted.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No GPS, dive, sonar, or archaeological evidence has located the remains of the N. Star. The surrender does not specify a site, thus the wreck remains unlocated and undocumented.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”n-star-us-52204″ title=”References & Links”]

The N. Star, a small scow-schooner built in 1868, was declared wrecked in September 1878, with its registry surrendered in late 1881. The cause and exact location of the wreck are unknown, and further archival research may provide additional insights.

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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

Final Voyage & Loss

  • Incident: Official documentation reports N. Star was “wrecked in September 1878.”
  • Location: Not specified in the surrender record; vessel was registered through Port Huron, MI (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
  • Circumstances: Original shipwreck record is unreported—unknown if due to storm, grounding, cargo shift, or collision.
  • Casualties: None recorded

Final Disposition

  • The registry was surrendered on 12 December 1881, cancelling the enrollment due to wreck conditions.
  • The exact nature and location of the wreck were not detailed, leaving the site uncharted.

Located By & Date Found

  • No GPS, dive, sonar, or archaeological evidence located the remains.
  • The surrender does not specify site; thus, the wreck remains unlocated and undocumented.

Notations & Advisories

  • No navigational warnings or chart annotations are linked to this loss.
  • As a small scow-schooner, she likely sank in shallow coastal waters—potentially near Port Huron or Bangor, MI.

Archival Research Suggestions

To fill in the gaps and locate N. Star‘s story, I recommend:

  1. Newspaper Archives (Sept 1878):
    • Search Port Huron Times Herald, Saginaw Courier, Detroit Free Press, or small-press papers for “North Star” shipping incidents.
  2. Harbor & Lighthouse Records:
    • Entries in Port Huron ship logs, keepers’ journals, or Great Lakes Coast Survey charts may mention the wreck.
  3. Insurance and Underwriters’ Files:
    • Look for small claims records in Michigan maritime insurance archives between 1878–1881.
  4. Maritime Registers:
    • Follow shipping enrollment logs post-1878 to see if vessel status or reported site emerges in transfer or cancellation notes.

Conclusion

N. Star, a small 1868-built scow-schooner, was officially declared wrecked sometime in September 1878, with registry surrendered in late 1881. No cause or exact location is captured in surviving records, and the wreck remains unlocated. Archival research into contemporary journals, newspapers, and insurance files may reveal further details and potentially identify the site.

n-star-us-52204 1878-09-12 20:15:00