Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Plymouth Rock
- Type: Steamer (Sidewheel passenger/freight steamer)
- Year Built: 1854
- Builder: Buffalo, New York
- Dimensions: Length 335 ft 10 in (102.4 m); Beam 42 ft (12.8 m); Depth of hold 14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 1,991 13/95
- Depth at Wreck Site: 4.4 m / 14.5 ft
- Location: Port Huron, Michigan
- Original Owners: Michigan Central Rail Road Co., Detroit, Michigan; Ruben N. Rice, superintendent
- Number of Masts: 1
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Plymouth Rock was one of the largest wooden sidewheel steamers on the Great Lakes, designed as a luxurious passenger and package-freight carrier. With her sister ship, Western World, she was intended to dominate the booming mid-19th-century passenger trade between Lake Erie and Lake Michigan ports.
Description
This enormous sidewheel steamer carried two thousand passengers in a single trip, featuring spacious saloons, cabins, and elegant upper-deck accommodations typical of first-class steamboats of the era. The vertical beam engine, among the largest then built for the Great Lakes, powered 39-foot paddle wheels with enough force to sustain long voyages even against strong currents.
History
Key milestones:
- 1854, Mar 21 – Launched at Buffalo, NY
- 1854, Jul 21 – Enrolled at Detroit, MI
- 1854, Oct 25 – Collided with schooner Sarah A. Green in the Detroit River
- 1855, Mar – Received improvements to boilers, staterooms, and cabins
- 1857 – Laid up at Detroit
- 1859, Aug 31 – Struck schooner Louisa at Detroit
- 1863, May 2 – Registered to Boston, Massachusetts; dismantled at Buffalo; engine shipped to New York for use in another vessel also named Plymouth Rock
- 1863, Jun 25 – Hull converted into a bark (rigged sailing vessel)
- 1869, Nov 23 – Filled with water in a storm on Lake Huron
- 1871, Sep 16 – Hull repurposed by Fitzgerald & Leighton and brought to Port Huron, MI for use as a floating drydock
Significant Incidents
- Collided with schooner Sarah A. Green in the Detroit River on October 25, 1854.
- Struck schooner Louisa at Detroit on August 31, 1859.
- Filled with water in a storm on Lake Huron on November 23, 1869.
Final Disposition
Final Location: Port Huron, Michigan
Fate: Hull converted for use as a drydock after being laid up and repurposed.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No modern underwater wreck site documented, as the hull was ultimately converted and reused ashore.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”plymouth-rock-1854″ title=”References & Links”]
The Plymouth Rock represents one of the greatest engineering and commercial feats of early Great Lakes steam navigation. Her massive wooden hull, powerful beam engine, and sidewheels made her a technological leader of her day, supporting thousands of passengers at a time. While her sailing conversion and final use as a floating drydock meant she was never lost at sea, her story highlights the transformation and reuse common among 19th-century steamers.
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: Plymouth Rock
- Year Built: 1854
- Built at: Buffalo, New York
- Vessel Type: Steamer (Sidewheel passenger/freight steamer)
- Hull Material: Wood
- Number of Decks: 1
- Master Carpenter: John Englis
- Original Owner: Michigan Central Rail Road Co., Detroit, Michigan
- Ownership Notes: Ruben N. Rice, superintendent
- Number of Masts: 1
- Propulsion: Sidewheel
- Engine Type: Vertical Beam (Walking Beam)
- # of Cylinders: 1
- Propulsion Notes:
- Cylinder: 81 inches (2.06 m) diameter x 144 inches (3.66 m) stroke
- 1,500 horsepower at peak
- Engine built by Allaire Iron Works, New York, NY
- Sidewheels: 39 ft (11.9 m) diameter
- Hull Dimensions
- Length: 335 ft 10 in (102.4 m)
- Beam: 42 ft (12.8 m)
- Depth: 14 ft 6 in (4.4 m)
- Tonnage (old style): 1,991 13/95
- Capacity: Approximately 2,000 passengers
Vessel Type
The Plymouth Rock was one of the largest wooden sidewheel steamers on the Great Lakes, designed as a luxurious passenger and package-freight carrier. With her sister ship, Western World, she was intended to dominate the booming mid-19th-century passenger trade between Lake Erie and Lake Michigan ports.
Description
This enormous sidewheel steamer carried two thousand passengers in a single trip, featuring spacious saloons, cabins, and elegant upper-deck accommodations typical of first-class steamboats of the era. The vertical beam engine, among the largest then built for the Great Lakes, powered 39-foot paddle wheels with enough force to sustain long voyages even against strong currents.
History
Key milestones:
- 1854, Mar 21 – Launched at Buffalo, NY
- 1854, Jul 21 – Enrolled at Detroit, MI
- 1854, Oct 25 – Collided with schooner Sarah A. Green in the Detroit River
- 1855, Mar – Received improvements to boilers, staterooms, and cabins
- 1857 – Laid up at Detroit
- 1859, Aug 31 – Struck schooner Louisa at Detroit
- 1863, May 2 – Registered to Boston, Massachusetts; dismantled at Buffalo; engine shipped to New York for use in another vessel also named Plymouth Rock
- 1863, Jun 25 – Hull converted into a bark (rigged sailing vessel)
- 1869, Nov 23 – Filled with water in a storm on Lake Huron
- 1871, Sep 16 – Hull repurposed by Fitzgerald & Leighton and brought to Port Huron, MI for use as a floating drydock
Final Disposition
- Final Location: Port Huron, Michigan
- Fate: Hull converted for use as a drydock after being laid up and repurposed
Located By & Date
No modern underwater wreck site documented, as the hull was ultimately converted and reused ashore.
Notmars & Advisories
None currently noted.
Resources & Links
Conclusion
The Plymouth Rock represents one of the greatest engineering and commercial feats of early Great Lakes steam navigation. Her massive wooden hull, powerful beam engine, and sidewheels made her a technological leader of her day, supporting thousands of passengers at a time. While her sailing conversion and final use as a floating drydock meant she was never lost at sea, her story highlights the transformation and reuse common among 19th-century steamers.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
- Sidewheel steamer
- Walking beam engine
- Passenger liner
- Package freight
- 19th-century Great Lakes
- Buffalo shipbuilding
- Michigan Central Rail Road
- Lake Erie–Lake Michigan trade