Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Stetson
- Type: Wooden schooner or barge (exact type unknown)
- Year Built: circa 1900
- Builder: Not recorded
- Dimensions: Not recorded
- Registered Tonnage: Not recorded
- Location: Lake Superior, while under tow
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Original Owners: Not recorded
- Number of Masts: Not recorded
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Possibly a wooden schooner or barge being transported to a new location. Common practice at the time involved barges or older schooners being towed behind larger steamers (like Kingston). Exact function is unconfirmed due to limited records.
Description
The Stetson was in tow of the steamer Kingston in September 1900, likely moving to a new service area. During a storm—possibly a line squall—the tow parted and the vessel foundered. No further details of the storm’s severity, vessel’s exact origin or destination, or nature of the operation at the time are available.
History
The vessel sank during the storm and was declared a total loss. No recovery or salvage attempts were undertaken.
Significant Incidents
- No wreckage was located, recovered, or surveyed. The loss was recorded through shipping records but offers no geographic precision or rediscovery.
Final Disposition
No navigational hazards were charted for the site. Temporary drifting debris may have posed small hazards at the time, but no long-term markers were established.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The Stetson, lost in September 1900 while under tow by Kingston, foundered in Lake Superior during a fall storm. Though small and undocumented, her loss reflects the frequent perils of towing operations at the turn of the century. Her exact specifications and fate remain obscure.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”stetson” title=”References & Links”]
The Stetson, lost in September 1900 while under tow by Kingston, foundered in Lake Superior during a fall storm. Though small and undocumented, her loss reflects the frequent perils of towing operations at the turn of the century. Her exact specifications and fate remain obscure.
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.
Identification & Site Information
- Name: Stetson
- Built: circa 1900 (vessel details not fully documented)
- Vessel Type: (likely) Wooden schooner or barge—exact type unknown
- Official Number: Not recorded
- Dimensions: Not recorded
- Final Loss: September 1900 (possibly on or around the 18th)
- Location: Lake Superior, while under tow
- Cause of Loss: Foundered during a storm; towline parted during tow by steamship Kingston
- Cargo: Not recorded
- Crew & Casualties: None reported
Vessel Type
Possibly a wooden schooner or barge being transported to a new location. Common practice at the time involved barges or older schooners being towed behind larger steamers (like Kingston). Exact function is unconfirmed due to limited records.
History & Final Voyage
The Stetson was in tow of the steamer Kingston in September 1900, likely moving to a new service area. During a storm—possibly a line squall—the tow parted and the vessel foundered. No further details of the storm’s severity, vessel’s exact origin or destination, or nature of the operation at the time are available.
Final Disposition
The vessel sank during the storm and was declared a total loss. No recovery or salvage attempts were undertaken.
Located By & Date Found
No wreckage was located, recovered, or surveyed. The loss was recorded through shipping records but offers no geographic precision or rediscovery.
Notmars & Advisories
No navigational hazards were charted for the site. Temporary drifting debris may have posed small hazards at the time, but no long-term markers were established.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files entry summarizing the loss in September 1900 while in tow
(medfordhistorical.org, seekingmyroots.com, archive.org) (source quotes date and tow context)
Conclusion
The Stetson, lost in September 1900 while under tow by Kingston, foundered in Lake Superior during a fall storm. Though small and undocumented, her loss reflects the frequent perils of towing operations at the turn of the century. Her exact specifications and fate remain obscure.