Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Samuel F. Hodge
• Type: Wooden Package Freighter (Propeller)
• Year Built: 1881
• Builder: Detroit Dry Dock Co., Detroit, MI
• Dimensions: 149.4 ft (45.5 m) × 30 ft (9.1 m) × 12.8 ft (3.9 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 585 gross / 466 net
• Depth at Wreck Site: 152 m / 500 ft
• Location: Mid-Lake Ontario, off Oak Orchard, New York
• Coordinates: Approx. 43°30′ N / 78°00′ W
• Official Number: 115763
• Original Owners: Farrell Brothers, Buffalo, NY (at loss)
• Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Samuel F. Hodge was a wooden-hulled package freighter constructed by the Detroit Dry Dock Company in 1881 for Eber Ward & Co. of Detroit. Powered by a for-and-aft compound steam engine built by S.F. Hodge & Co., she was among the early generation of wooden steam barges built for high-capacity bulk freight on the Great Lakes. With two masts, a single screw propeller, and a gross tonnage of 585, she could carry about 900 tons of cargo.

Description

The Samuel F. Hodge was a wooden-hulled package freighter constructed by the Detroit Dry Dock Company in 1881 for Eber Ward & Co. of Detroit. Powered by a for-and-aft compound steam engine built by S.F. Hodge & Co., she was among the early generation of wooden steam barges built for high-capacity bulk freight on the Great Lakes. With two masts, a single screw propeller, and a gross tonnage of 585, she could carry about 900 tons of cargo.

History

Enrolled at Detroit on May 11 1881, the Hodge began service between Cleveland and Duluth. Throughout her career she transported wire, lumber, and package goods, suffering a few early incidents including a naphtha explosion in 1881 and several groundings requiring repair. By the mid-1890s she was owned by the Farrell Brothers of Buffalo and operating regular runs between Cleveland and Prescott, Ontario.

Significant Incidents

On July 5 1896, while bound from Cleveland to Prescott with 600 tons of iron wire, a fire broke out near the boiler while the vessel was mid-lake off Oak Orchard, New York. Driven by strong winds, the flames engulfed the after cabins and machinery spaces. The crew abandoned ship in the yawl; one fireman perished. All others were rescued by the propeller St. Joseph, which attempted unsuccessfully to extinguish the blaze before the Hodge sank.

Final Disposition

In 2007, shipwreck explorers Jim Kennard and Dan Scoville located the wreck using side-scan sonar while searching for another vessel. A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) survey confirmed an upright wooden hull approximately 150 ft long and 30 ft wide — dimensions matching the Hodge. Iron wire cargo and the remains of her engine are clearly visible on the lakebed.

Current Condition & Accessibility

The Hodge rests upright in excellent structural condition for a wooden freighter of its age. Her engine and boiler remain intact; coils of iron wire are visible in the cargo hold. Cold freshwater and lack of oxygen have helped preserve her frames and deck structures.

Resources & Links

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The Samuel F. Hodge is an outstanding example of 19th-century Great Lakes wooden freighters preserved in deep freshwater. Discovered in 2007 and re-documented in 2025 by Aaron Newman and Exploring Our Deep World, the wreck stands as a rare intact artifact of the steam freight era. Its preserved engine and cargo offer remarkable insight into early industrial shipping on the Great Lakes.