Shotline Diving

Connecting You to the Depths of the Great Lakes

Souvenir US 22579

Explore the remains of the Souvenir, a 19th-century wooden schooner lost in Tawas Bay, Lake Huron, with a rich history of trade and multiple rebuilds.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: SOUVENIR
  • Type: Schooner
  • Year Built: 1854
  • Builder: Filkins or Barney M. Eaton
  • Dimensions: Length: 66.3 ft (20.2 m); Beam: 21.2 ft (6.5 m); Depth of hold: 5.6 ft (1.7 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 64 tons
  • Location: Tawas Bay, Lake Huron
  • Official Number: 22579
  • Original Owners: Henry Meyer, James Rusick, C. Lambert, and others
  • Number of Masts: 2

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

SOUVENIR was a two-masted wooden schooner, typical of mid-19th-century Great Lakes coastal cargo vessels. These schooners carried a wide variety of goods—lumber, shingles, grain—and were valued for their shallow draft, enabling access to smaller harbours.

Description

SOUVENIR was first enrolled at Milwaukee in 1854, working the Lake Michigan trade. After wintering ashore near South Haven in 1858, she had multiple owners throughout her career, including Henry Meyer, James Rusick, C. Lambert, and others. She was capsized off Port Washington in 1862 with the captain as sole survivor, then rebuilt in 1873 to 89.1 ft (27.2 m) length and 87 gross tons.

In 1872, SOUVENIR went ashore between Pentwater and Ludington, breaking up with the mate as only survivor. After rebuilding, she continued trading out of ports including Racine, Kenosha, and Port Huron. In November 1890, she stranded again in Tawas Bay, Lake Huron, and there is no record she was ever salvaged. Her documents were officially surrendered in 1894, with “wrecked” as the cause.

History

Went ashore Tawas Bay, November 1890; presumed total loss.

Significant Incidents

  • Capsized off Port Washington in 1862; captain was the sole survivor.
  • Went ashore between Pentwater and Ludington in 1872; mate was the only survivor.
  • Stranded in Tawas Bay, Lake Huron in November 1890; no record of salvage.

Final Disposition

Went ashore Tawas Bay, November 1890; presumed total loss.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Not located; presumed broken up or buried in shifting sands of Tawas Bay.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”souvenir-us-22579″ title=”References & Links”]

SOUVENIR’s repeated strandings and eventual loss illustrate the hazards of shallow-draft schooner trade on the Great Lakes in the 19th century. Her long service life, multiple rebuilds, and changes of ownership reflect the durability and challenges of wooden Great Lakes schooners.

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.

SOUVENIR (1854, Schooner)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: SOUVENIR
  • Official Number: 22579
  • Year Built: 1854
  • Built at: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Vessel Type: Schooner
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Builder: Filkins or Barney M. Eaton
  • Dimensions
    • Length: 66.3 ft (20.2 m)
    • Beam: 21.2 ft (6.5 m)
    • Depth: 5.6 ft (1.7 m)
  • Tonnage (old style): 64 tons
  • Number of Masts: 2
  • Final Disposition
    • Final Location: Tawas Bay, Lake Huron
    • Date Lost: November 1890
    • How Lost: Went ashore; records do not confirm salvage
    • Final Cargo: Unknown at time of loss
  • Notes: Document surrendered in Port Huron on 28 August 1894 marked “wrecked”

Vessel Type Description
SOUVENIR was a two-masted wooden schooner, typical of mid-19th-century Great Lakes coastal cargo vessels. These schooners carried a wide variety of goods—lumber, shingles, grain—and were valued for their shallow draft, enabling access to smaller harbours.

History
SOUVENIR was first enrolled at Milwaukee in 1854, working the Lake Michigan trade. After wintering ashore near South Haven in 1858, she had multiple owners throughout her career, including Henry Meyer, James Rusick, C. Lambert, and others. She was capsized off Port Washington in 1862 with the captain as sole survivor, then rebuilt in 1873 to 89.1 ft (27.2 m) length and 87 gross tons.

In 1872, SOUVENIR went ashore between Pentwater and Ludington, breaking up with the mate as only survivor. After rebuilding, she continued trading out of ports including Racine, Kenosha, and Port Huron. In November 1890, she stranded again in Tawas Bay, Lake Huron, and there is no record she was ever salvaged. Her documents were officially surrendered in 1894, with “wrecked” as the cause.

Final Disposition
Went ashore Tawas Bay, November 1890; presumed total loss.

NOTMARs & Advisories
None noted.

Located By & Date
No official location or survey reported.

Current Condition & Accessibility
Not located; presumed broken up or buried in shifting sands of Tawas Bay.

Resources & Links

Conclusion
SOUVENIR’s repeated strandings and eventual loss illustrate the hazards of shallow-draft schooner trade on the Great Lakes in the 19th century. Her long service life, multiple rebuilds, and changes of ownership reflect the durability and challenges of wooden Great Lakes schooners.

Keywords: Lake Huron, Tawas Bay, schooner, wood vessel, 19th-century shipping, shipwreck

souvenir-us-22579 1890-11-05 15:59:00