Plymouth Rock (1852)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Plymouth Rock
• Type: Schooner (later converted to barge)
• Year Built: 1852
• Builder: A. Miller
• Dimensions: Length: 116 ft (35.4 m); Beam: 24.7 ft (7.5 m); Depth: 11.1 ft (3.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 243 tons (original); 293 tons (1860); 301 tons (after 1862 rebuild); 226.78 gross tons (1865)
• Depth at Wreck Site: 3.4 m / 11.1 ft
• Location: Detroit, MI
• Official Number: 19768
• Original Owners: Williams & Town; Baldwin & Johnson; J. Jenkins; Goodrich Transportation Co.; R.J. Hackett et al; Western Transportation Co.; C.E. Woodruff
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Plymouth Rock was built as a two-masted wooden schooner, typical of mid-19th century Great Lakes bulk carriers, hauling grain, lumber, and general cargo between Lake Ontario, Lake Erie, and Lake Michigan ports.

Description

Originally designed as a package freighter, Plymouth Rock was rebuilt several times during its working life. The vessel transitioned from a schooner to an unrigged barge by the 1880s, illustrating the trend of repurposing aging sailing vessels for steam-powered towing.

History

Launched in 1852 at Oswego, NY, Plymouth Rock began her career in the grain and lumber trade across the lakes.

Key historical milestones:

• 1858, May – Sprang a leak on Lake Erie, repaired at Detroit
• 1858, Sep – Ashore at Presque Isle, Lake Huron
• 1860 – Registered to Williams & Town, Oswego, remeasured to 293 tons
• 1862 – Rebuilt, increasing capacity to 301 tons
• 1863 – Owned by Baldwin & Johnson, Oswego
• 1865 – Owned by J. Jenkins, Oswego
• 1868 – Ownership transferred to Milwaukee, WI
• 1869 – Reported stranded
• 1870 – Converted to barge
• 1871 – Owned by Goodrich Transportation Co., Chicago
• 1871, Mar 24 – Ownership to R.J. Hackett et al, Detroit
• 1876 – Owned by Western Transportation Co.
• 1881, Sep 17 – Owned by C.E. Woodruff, St. Clair, MI, rebuilt as 116 ft barge
• 1884 – Burned at the dock in Detroit, hull later rebuilt to an unrigged barge

The Plymouth Rock had a lengthy and eventful service life, changing hands and undergoing repeated rebuilds, demonstrating the working ship’s typical pattern of hard use and constant adaptation.

Significant Incidents

• 1858: Sprang a leak on Lake Erie, repaired at Detroit.
• 1858: Ashore at Presque Isle, Lake Huron.
• 1869: Reported stranded.
• 1884: Burned at the dock in Detroit.

Final Disposition

• Final Location: Burned at dock, Detroit, MI in 1884
• Fate: Hull rebuilt as an unrigged barge following fire

Current Condition & Accessibility

No current survey or archaeological location noted.

Resources & Links

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The Plymouth Rock illustrates the life cycle of a 19th-century Great Lakes schooner, transitioning through owners, rebuilds, and conversions before ending its days as a burned and rebuilt barge. Its shifting measurements and multiple incidents — leaks, strandings, and fire — are typical of the era’s commercial wooden vessels.