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.

(Sidewheel Steamer, built 1855)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Sebastopol
• Type: Sidewheel passenger and freight steamer
• Built: Winter 1855, Lake Michigan (specific builder undocumented) (Wisconsin Shipwrecks, UW-Madison Libraries)
• Tonnage & Dimensions: Not explicitly archived (typical steam paddle dimensions mid‑1850s, probably 150‑200 ft length)
• Registry: U.S. registry, plying Lake Michigan routes
• Final Loss: Went ashore and wrecked during the week of November 7, 1865. According to Swayze files: “stranded in a storm and ‘dashed in pieces’” (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Location: Lake Michigan near Milwaukee (approximately 3 miles south of harbor piers in 1855 grounding event) tied to same vessel records—but final wreck in November 1865, exact site unspecified (UW-Madison Libraries)
• Cargo: Passenger and general freight; specific cargo at loss not detailed
• Fatalities: Not recorded in surviving entries

Vessel Description

A wooden‑hulled sidewheel steamer constructed in 1855. Designed for mixed passenger and freight transport along Lake Michigan, featuring paddle wheels and likely a single or twin smokestack configuration typical of mid‑19th‑century inland steamers. Internal construction and power plant details are unrecorded in available sources.

History & Operational Record

• 1855 Grounding: Shortly after construction, Sebastopol stranded ~3 miles south of Milwaukee harbor piers. She was eventually wrecked and broken up post‑incident; this may reflect a separate loss or refer to the same vessel listed as lost in 1865—records ambiguous (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, UW-Madison Libraries)
• Service Life: Operated as a passenger and freight steamer on Lake Michigan; frequency of operations, ownership, and captain’s names remain undocumented.
• 1855–1865: Sparse record-keeping; likely refloated or rebuilt following the early grounding event, continuing operations until the final loss in 1865.

Final Disposition

• Cause of Loss: Driven ashore in storm conditions in early November 1865; vessel was “dashed in pieces” indicating structural failure due to wave action and grounding (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Salvage/Inquiry: No records of salvage or formal inquiry. The wreck likely remained where grounded and gradually deteriorated.
• Crew Outcome: No documented fatalities or injuries.

Located By & Current Condition

• Discovery: A wreck believed to be Sebastopol was found in 1976 by divers in ~15 ft (4.5 m) of water off Milwaukee. Wreckage is broken up and lies on sandy bottom and consists of scattered artifacts consistent with a 19th-century vessel (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Site Condition: Approximately 50% of hull remains extant. Artifacts include broken china, stove components, cowhide, harness parts, nails, and other domestic/freight items. Site is heavily colonized by zebra mussels (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

Notmars & Advisories

No known Notices to Mariners or formal hazard bulletins were issued at the time, and none survive. Given shallow depth near harbor, the wreck site may have represented a navigational hazard initially but likely faded from active chart warnings soon after.

Resources & References

All available sources linked below for further archival research.

• Milwaukee Public Library Ship Information Card on Sebastopol (constructed 1855) (UW-Madison Libraries)
• Wisconsin Shipwrecks “Sebastopol” site entry (diver-discovered wreck in 1976, site description) (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
• Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (Swayze archive listing of Sebastopol, Nov 7 storm loss) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Research Gaps & Recommendations

• Maritime newspaper archives (Milwaukee, Chicago, Nov 1865): To locate contemporary storm rescue or loss accounts, passenger lists, or cargo manifests.
• Marine registry records (1855–1866): For vessel dimensions, ownership, master names, and insurance data.
• Local port authority or harbor pilot logs: To examine harbor incident reports or salvage documentation.
• Archaeological survey of the 1976 wreck site: To confirm identity through construction features, engine remnants, or vessel fittings.

Conclusion

The Sebastopol represents a typical mid‑19th-century sidewheel cargo‑passenger steamer of Lake Michigan—built in 1855, wrecked during a storm in early November 1865, and later rediscovered in shallow water near Milwaukee. The extant wreck and artifacts provide tangible archaeological context for shipping hazards of the era, while archival gaps call for further research to fully reconstruct the vessel’s service life. Its documentation fills a valuable niche in the broader corpus of Great Lakes maritime heritage.

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