Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: GORDON CAMPBELL, later STRATHMORE
- Type: Package Freighter
- Year Built: 1871
- Builder: Campbell & Owen, Detroit, MI
- Dimensions: 205.5 ft (62.6 m) X 32.5 ft (9.9 m); Depth: 13.1 ft (4.0 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 996.14 (initial), later 1,158 (Canadian)
- Location: Near Michipicoten Island, Lake Superior
- Official Number: 85184 (U.S.), 116813 (Canada)
- Original Owners: Various, including Erie & Western Transportation Co., Ontario Navigation Co., and Canadian interests
- Number of Masts: 2
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Package FreighterA twin-screw, two-deck wooden package freighter, designed for general freight service on Great Lakes routes. Notably equipped with steel chords inside frames for structural reinforcement.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 2
- Length: 205.5 ft (62.6 m)
- Beam: 32.5 ft (9.9 m)
- Depth: 13.1 ft (4.0 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 996.14 (initial), later 1,158 (Canadian)
- Net Tonnage: 709.80
- Cargo Capacity: 1,280 tons
- Horsepower: 435 nominal
History
- 1871, Sep 2: Launched and enrolled at Detroit, MI. Maiden voyage to Chicago on Oct 6.
- 1872: Acquired by Erie & Western Transportation Co., Erie, PA; entered regular service on Buffalo–Chicago–Milwaukee routes.
- 1880–1882: Involved in several incidents including cargo shift near Northport, MI, and a collision off Racine, WI with schooner THOMAS C. WILSON.
- 1888: Rebuilt; tonnage increased to 1,100.69 gross, 785.26 net. Steam pump and iron boiler house added.
- 1904: Owned by Ontario Navigation Co., home port Chicago.
- 1905: Sold to Canadian interests (George Plunkett et al., Cobourg, ONT); renamed STRATHMORE and re-enrolled in Canada as C116813.
- 1906: Continued service in package freight and grain trade.
- 1906, Nov 8: Wrecked near Michipicoten Island while bound from Fort William to Kingston with wheat. Struck bottom, took on water, fires were extinguished, and vessel burned after being pushed ashore by storm winds.
Significant Incidents
- Struck bottom and caught fire during a storm on November 8, 1906.
- Wrecked near Michipicoten Island while carrying wheat.
Final Disposition
STRATHMORE was considered a total loss after being driven ashore and set afire during a storm. The crew was safely evacuated. No further use or salvage recorded.Current Condition & Accessibility
No confirmed modern location or archaeological survey published.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”strathmore-c-116813gordon-campbell-us-85184″ title=”References & Links”]
GORDON CAMPBELL, later STRATHMORE, represents a transitional freighter of the wooden hull era with advanced mechanical features for her time. Her long career included extensive commercial service, multiple ownerships, and frequent towing duties. The vessel’s destruction near Michipicoten Island marked the end of one of the longer-serving early steam freighters on the Lakes.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name(s): GORDON CAMPBELL, later STRATHMORE (1905–1906)
- U.S. Official Number: 85184
- Canadian Official Number: 116813
- Year Built: 1871
- Builder: Campbell & Owen, Detroit, MI
- Final Location: Near Michipicoten Island, Lake Superior
- Date Lost: 8 November 1906
- Cause: Struck bottom, caught fire, and was wrecked in a storm
Vessel Type
Package Freighter
A twin-screw, two-deck wooden package freighter, designed for general freight service on Great Lakes routes. Notably equipped with steel chords inside frames for structural reinforcement.
Description
- Hull Material: Wood
- Decks: 2
- Length: 205.5 ft (62.6 m)
- Beam: 32.5 ft (9.9 m)
- Depth: 13.1 ft (4.0 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 996.14 (initial), later 1,158 (Canadian)
- Net Tonnage: 709.80
- Cargo Capacity: 1,280 tons
- Horsepower: 435 nominal
Propulsion & Power
- Propulsion Type: Twin screw
- Engines: Two For-and-Aft Compound engines (22″ & 32″ x 30″)
- Boilers: Two firebox boilers (7′ x 15′, 100 psi)
- Engine Builder: Dry Dock Engine Works, Detroit, MI
History
- 1871, Sep 2: Launched and enrolled at Detroit, MI. Maiden voyage to Chicago on Oct 6.
- 1872: Acquired by Erie & Western Transportation Co., Erie, PA; entered regular service on Buffalo–Chicago–Milwaukee routes.
- 1880–1882: Involved in several incidents including cargo shift near Northport, MI, and a collision off Racine, WI with schooner THOMAS C. WILSON.
- 1888: Rebuilt; tonnage increased to 1,100.69 gross, 785.26 net. Steam pump and iron boiler house added.
- 1904: Owned by Ontario Navigation Co., home port Chicago.
- 1905: Sold to Canadian interests (George Plunkett et al., Cobourg, ONT); renamed STRATHMORE and re-enrolled in Canada as C116813.
- 1906: Continued service in package freight and grain trade.
- 1906, Nov 8: Wrecked near Michipicoten Island while bound from Fort William to Kingston with wheat. Struck bottom, took on water, fires were extinguished, and vessel burned after being pushed ashore by storm winds.
Final Disposition
STRATHMORE was considered a total loss after being driven ashore and set afire during a storm. The crew was safely evacuated. No further use or salvage recorded.
Located By & Date Found
No confirmed modern location or archaeological survey published.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Vessels Database – BGSU
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Merchant Vessel Lists (U.S. 1885, Canadian 1905–1906)
- Edward J. Dowling Collection, University of Detroit Mercy
- Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Steamboat Era in the Muskokas – Richard Tatley
- Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
- Buffalo Evening News
- J.W. Hall Great Lakes Marine Scrapbook
- John E. Poole and Donald V. Baut archives
Conclusion
GORDON CAMPBELL, later STRATHMORE, represents a transitional freighter of the wooden hull era with advanced mechanical features for her time. Her long career included extensive commercial service, multiple ownerships, and frequent towing duties. The vessel’s destruction near Michipicoten Island marked the end of one of the longer-serving early steam freighters on the Lakes.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Tags: package freighter, wooden hull, twin screw, Lake Superior, 19th-century steamship, Canadian registry
Glossary:
- Package Freighter: A cargo vessel built for breakbulk goods
- For-and-Aft Compound: Steam engine with successive expansion through two cylinders
- Twin Screw: Dual propeller drive for greater maneuverability and power