Starke – Lake Michigan Steamer Shipwreck

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Starke
• Type: Steam Screw Vessel
• Year Built: 1889
• Builder: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
• Dimensions: Length 65.3 ft (~19.9 m); Beam 19.1 ft (~5.82 m); Depth of hold 7.7 ft (~2.35 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 49.0 gt
• Location: Approx. Milwaukee, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: Approx. 43° 00.008′ N, 87° 52.467′ W
• Official Number: 116269
• Original Owners: Unknown
• Number of Masts: No masts

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• A small wooden-hulled steam screw vessel—likely used for local freight, passenger service, or as a tender—typical of late 19th-century regional operations on Lake Michigan.

Description

Constructed of oak/timber in Sheboygan, Starke featured compact dimensions with a low tonnage hull. Steam propulsion (screw-driven) afforded modest motive power suited for Milwaukee–Sheboygan runs. Its breadth relative to length suggests cargo or short-run passenger capabilities.

History

• Built in 1889, registry shows Starke operating under Milwaukee as home port. Vigilant registry records list her among steam screw vessels on Lake Michigan, though specific owners or operator names have not been documented in publicly available vessel indexes.
• No known incidents, port logs, or employment history have surfaced; crew lists and ownership remain unrecorded in accessible sources.

Significant Incidents

• There is no public record of a sinking date or abandonment. The field “Sank” remains unconfirmed—no official date or formal registration surrender noted. Lives lost: none known.

Final Disposition

• Unlike better-known wrecks, no archaeological site has been confirmed. Starke does not appear in the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary list nor in dedicated state or MSRA wreck registers.
• The given coordinates (approx. Milwaukee, Lake Michigan) have not been validated with underwater surveys. Thus, the vessel’s current location and condition remain unknown.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• No Notices to Mariners, hazard bulletins, or chart warnings for Starke have been identified.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”starke-us-116269″ title=”References & Links”]

Starke appears to have been a modest, local-use steam screw vessel operating on Lake Michigan between 1889 and 1919. Despite existing registry data, no sinking or loss is recorded, and actual wreckage or formal end-of-service details are unverified. This profile identifies significant documentation gaps—most notably, lack of a loss date, absence of crew or operator records, and no physical site confirmation. Further archival research and remote-sensing investigation could substantially enhance the vessel’s historical profile.