Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Saltillo
- Type: Wooden schooner (bulk freight)
- Year Built: 1847
- Builder: George Allen, Chicago
- Dimensions: 120 ft × 21 ft × 8 ft (37 m × 6.4 m × 2.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: ~200 tons
- Location: Mouth of the St. Clair River, Lake Huron/St. Clair boundary
- Coordinates: Unknown; presumed St. Clair delta
- Original Owners: J. R. Huguinn (Chicago)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Saltillo was a mid-19th century timber-built schooner, single-decked and designed for heavy bulk trades such as coal and rails. With her 120-ft length and deep inland draft, she was well suited to lower lake commerce, though vulnerable in confined river passages during foul weather.
Description
The Saltillo was a mid-19th century timber-built schooner, single-decked and designed for heavy bulk trades such as coal and rails. With her 120-ft length and deep inland draft, she was well suited to lower lake commerce, though vulnerable in confined river passages during foul weather.
History
Launched at Chicago in 1847, the Saltillo entered service under J. R. Huguinn. She primarily hauled bulk commodities along Great Lakes routes. Historical accounts note repeated misfortune in the St. Clair River area: an early collision on her maiden voyage in 1847, and again in 1853 during a storm-bound refuge attempt.
On 25 November 1853, bound for Chicago with coal and rails, she sought shelter in the St. Clair River mouth. Storm currents and confined conditions drove her into infrastructure or another vessel, opening planking. Despite efforts to save her, the Saltillo foundered. The crew escaped unharmed.
Significant Incidents
- Collision on her maiden voyage in 1847.
- Foundering on 25 November 1853 during a storm-bound refuge attempt.
Final Disposition
The vessel was declared a total loss. Registry was likely abandoned shortly thereafter. No salvage records exist, and the wreck’s remains have not been rediscovered. It is presumed to lie somewhere within the St. Clair River delta.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Unlocated. No modern survey has confirmed the site.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”saltillo-1847″ title=”References & Links”]
Saltillo represents the hazards of early bulk schooner navigation in the Great Lakes’ river systems. Her repeat collisions and eventual foundering highlight both the challenges of operating deep-draft schooners in narrow river mouths and the limitations of mid-19th-century navigation and infrastructure. Carrying rails and coal, she embodied the industrializing economy of the Great Lakes corridor.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
Join Shotline to read more →