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

• Name: Niagara
• Built: 1826 at Black Rock (Buffalo), NY
• Official Number: (none recorded yet)
• Final Location: Scuttled and later sunk in Lake Erie
• Loss Date: April 3, 1842

Vessel Type

• Single-deck wooden sidewheel steamer, powered by a 30 hp engine

Description

• Hull: Single-deck wooden construction
• Dimensions: 102 ft long × 20 ft 11 in beam × 8 ft depth
• Tonnage: 156 92/95 tons (old style)
• Propulsion: Side-wheels driven by a single 30 hp steam engine

Construction & Ownership History

• Launched: 1826; enrolled Buffalo on August 4, 1826
• Owners:
  • Augustus S. Porter (Black Rock, NY) initially
  • 1831: James McKnight et al
  • 1836: Peter B. Porter
  • 1837: L. Happ (Monroe, MI) – remained owner at time of final loss

Operational History & Incidents

• Aug 30, 1826: Machinery failure near Duck Island, Lake Ontario
• Oct 1826: Collision with sidewheel Pioneer at Grand River, Lake Erie (ipms-seattle.org)
• Nov 14, 1826: Lost main mast in gale near Niagara River; repaired thereafter
• 1827–1837: Ran passenger/freight service between Buffalo and Detroit
• May 29, 1832: Assisted rescue of a capsized schooner Guerrier
• July 7, 1837: Collided with steamer Pennsylvania near Huron, OH; heavily damaged but did not sink (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, ipms-seattle.org)

Final Disposition

• April 3, 1842: Deemed beyond repair; machinery stripped, hulk burned for metal salvage and scuttled in Lake Erie
• April 3, 1882: Hull raised and towed offshore, then sunk in Lake Erie (ipms-seattle.org)

Site Status & Archaeology

• No documented archaeological surveys or GPS site records found
• Likely buried, degraded mid-lake wreckage; remote-sensing survey recommended
• Position details and condition are absent in maritime preservation datasets—site likely remains undesignated

Gaps & Research Recommendations

• Crew and licensing logs: Search US National Archives RG 26 (Merchant Vessel Enrollment) for crew and master documentation
• Machinery salvage records: Insurance or salvage company files from 1842-1882 may yield details
• Recovery & scuttling logs: Hull-raising records from 1882 (harbor transit, tow manifests) to track final resting site
• Maritime charts or Notices: Investigate Lake Erie navigation bulletins for hazard markers or scuttling notices

Conclusion

Niagara represents an early generation of Great Lakes sidewheel steamers: modest in power, wooden, yet vital in regional commerce along Buffalo–Detroit routes. The vessel’s lifecycle—from machinery failures, collisions, rescue service, to eventual dismantling and repurposing—mirrors common mid-19th-century maritime practices. The 1842 scuttling and later 1882 sinking highlight transitions from reclamation of iron to disposal of obsolete wooden hulls.

No preservation records suggest Niagara’s wreck site remains neglected—underscoring a prime opportunity for remote sensing or limited diver survey, potentially revealing structural remains or metal fixtures. Locating and documenting Niagara would fill an important gap in early steamboat heritage on Lake Erie.

Keywords: Sidewheel steamer, Buffalo, Duck Island machinery failure, Pioneer collision, Guerrier rescue, Pennsylvania collision, 1842 fire scuttling, 1882 hull raising, Lake Erie lost vessel.

niagara-1826 1842-04-03 00:05:00