Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: ROBERT HOLLAND
- Type: Wooden-hulled screw steambarge, later converted to a passenger and freight steamer
- Year Built: April 1872
- Builder: Alex Anderson, Marine City, MI
- Dimensions: Length 149.6 ft (45.6 m); Beam 28.2 ft (8.6 m); Depth of hold 11.9 ft (3.6 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Gross Tonnage: 423 t; Net Tonnage: 339 t
- Location: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
- Coordinates: Approximate location of the wreck
- Official Number: U.S. Official No. 110043
- Original Owners: Various owners over the years, including Canadian ownership
- Number of Masts: Not specified
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Wooden-hulled screw steambarge, later converted to a passenger and freight steamer
Description
The ROBERT HOLLAND began her life in 1872 as a wood-hulled steambarge built at Marine City, Michigan, outfitted with a high-pressure engine and constructed to carry both freight and passengers. Over time, she underwent multiple rebuilds and changes in ownership, at one point being converted into a passenger steamer with significant structural changes including the addition of a second deck and new cabins.
History
Originally operating out of Port Huron, Michigan, the vessel ran into early trouble when she grounded off Pelee Island in her first year. Rebuilt in 1875 for passenger service, she was renamed NORTHERN QUEEN under Canadian ownership. Her eventful service included groundings, collisions, and significant incidents: notably in 1881 she collided with and sank the LAKE ERIE before striking a bar and sinking herself in the Manistique River.
Raised and rebuilt in 1882, she returned to the name ROBERT HOLLAND and changed ownership frequently in the subsequent decades. She sank again in Duluth harbour in 1906 due to a shifting deck load and was salvaged. That same year, she suffered a broken shaft on Lake Superior. Her working life was extended into the 1910s under various owners in Michigan and Chicago.
Significant Incidents
- Grounded off Pelee Island in her first year of service.
- Renamed NORTHERN QUEEN after being rebuilt in 1875.
- Collided with and sank the LAKE ERIE in 1881.
- Sank in the Manistique River after striking a bar.
- Sank again in Duluth harbour in 1906 due to a shifting deck load.
Final Disposition
On May 11, 1915, the ROBERT HOLLAND caught fire while docked at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The fire destroyed her upper works, and the vessel was declared a total loss. Her enrollment documents were surrendered in Chicago on May 24, 1915.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return. No recorded rediscovery or survey of wreck remains to date.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”robert-holland-us-110043″ title=”References & Links”]
The ROBERT HOLLAND (formerly NORTHERN QUEEN) will be indexed under Lake Michigan wrecks and will be plotted for future mapping and charting purposes.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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