Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Ontonagon
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1856
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: St. Clair River area, Canadian side
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Type: Great Lakes lumber schooner–barge
Registry: U.S., home-port unspecified but operated widely between Lake Superior and Lake Huron timber ports
Description
Ontonagon was a wooden schooner built in 1856, primarily used in the lumber trade across the Great Lakes.
History
The Ontonagon represents a class of mid-19th-century wooden schooners that played a significant role in the lumber industry. The vessel was involved in transporting timber between various ports on Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
Significant Incidents
- Loss Circumstances: On September 25, 1883, during a gale on Lake Huron, the Ontonagon caught fire while carrying a likely cargo of lumber. To save the crew, the captain intentionally ran the vessel ashore on the Canadian side of the St. Clair River.
- Outcome: The vessel burned down to the waterline and sank where it lay. Fortunately, no crew members were lost during the incident.
Final Disposition
The Ontonagon was refloated on December 7, 1883, and subsequently towed away. It is believed that her remains were either broken apart or removed, with possible hull fragments still buried under sediment near the grounding site.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The current condition of the wreck site is undocumented, but there may be potential buried remains near the Canadian shoreline where the vessel was grounded.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”ontonagon-1856″ title=”References & Links”]
The Ontonagon serves as an important historical example of life-saving grounding practices in the maritime context of the Great Lakes, highlighting cooperative efforts between the U.S. and Canada to protect lives during maritime emergencies.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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