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

Description

The *Rotarian* was a wooden-hulled sidewheel steamer built for excursion and passenger service. Its design included paddlewheel guards that extended outward from the hull. In her later years, as she was converted into a docked social venue, interior modifications likely altered her original layout and some machinery or structural elements may have been removed or adapted.

History

Initially launched in 1889 as *A. Wehrle, Jr.* for excursion service on Lake Superior / St. Louis River routes, the vessel ran services including Duluth to Fond du Lac (per local lore). In the 1920s she was moved to Chicago and repurposed as a floating dance hall, restaurant, and political/social venue. She became associated with Cook County Democratic events and allegedly hosted Prohibition-era gatherings.

By 1929 her active operations ended. In September 1931 she sank at her dock (or partially deteriorated and submerged), was raised by authorities, and towed away from shore for intentional scuttling approximately 8.2 miles east‑northeast of the Chicago harbour entrance. This is documented in Illinois DNR’s “Underwater Museums” publication. Final Dispositions

The *Rotarian* was intentionally scuttled as a disposal measure. It was not lost by accident. After settling on the lake bottom (at ~80–84 ft), the wreck is partially collapsed; machinery (boiler, paddlewheel remnants) is still visible. Artifacts such as beer bottles remain among the wreckage, linking to its Prohibition-era history. Located By & Date Found

No definitive archival record publicly indicates who first located or surveyed the wreck in modern times. It is well known in dive‑site literature, and is actively dived and promoted via dive charters 

Notmars & Advisories

No modern navigational notices or hazards appear in the publicly accessible sources. The site is treated in Illinois as an underwater archaeological resource. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Dive Information

Access: Boat dive via Chicago / Hammond area coordinate launches (via local charters) 
Entry Point: Depart from Hammond Marina or Chicago dive charter docks
Conditions: Visibility often ~16–20 ft (4.9–6.1 m), water temperature at depth ~50–55 °F (10–13 °C)
Depth Range: 80–84 ft (≈ 24.4–25.6 m) :contentReference
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard (Lake Michigan sector), local dive charters/shops
Permits: Illinois state underwater archaeology / heritage preservation rules apply
Dive Support: Local dive charters offer guided access and support

Crew & Casualty Memorials

Because the scuttling was controlled and no casualties resulted, no formal memorials for lost crew are documented.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“Resting on the lake bed, at a depth of nearly 85 feet, is the 1889 wooden steamer the Rotarian … It was scuttled in 1931 8.2 miles east‑northeast of the Chicago harbor entrance to Lake Michigan.” 

“The wreck lies at 84 feet with much to see: boiler, the collapsed hull, its propeller, and, amidst the hull timbers, numerous beer bottles from Prohibition days.”

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

The vessel was assigned U.S. Official Number 106652. Public digital sources do not currently provide her enrollment port, certificate of enrollment, or insurance / salvage claim documentation. A deeper archival search (e.g. U.S. National Archives, Chicago municipal records) is recommended.

Site Documentation & Imaging

Underwater photography by dive charters is available.  The Sketchfab 3D model embed offers a digital reconstruction or visualization of the wreck site. No published NOAA VR survey or official sonar maps tied specifically to *Rotarian* were found in the sources reviewed.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
• Newspapers.com
• Find A Grave
• Double Action Dive Charters – Rotarian site
• DiveBuddy – Rotarian site page
• Illinois DNR “Underwater Museums” (June 2006)

References

1. Illinois DNR, *Outdoor Illinois – Underwater Museums* (June 2006): scuttling 8.2 miles ENE of Chicago harbor entrance and depth ~85 ft
2. Double Action Dive Charters, *The Rotarian* wreck site page
3. DiveBuddy, *Rotarian – Chicago IL* site record
4. DiveBuddy revisions, *Rotarian* (ID 16520) :

NOAA Shipwreck Record Card