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

Description

Theresa was originally built (date unknown) as a private yacht for the Mutchenbaker family of Rosseau Falls (north shore of Lake Rosseau). Her structure likely was tim­ber‑built (wood hull), with modest dimensions suitable for pleasure cruising on the Muskoka lakes and sheltered waters. Her propulsion might have been steam or small internal combustion (or a conversion), though no documentation confirms this. Later in life, she was adapted to lighter work: hauling logs, towing, or serving as a workboat on the Magnetawan River system.

History

**Early Life (as yacht / pleasure vessel).** The Mutchenbaker family, operators of a local sawmill at Rosseau Falls, commissioned or purchased Theresa for personal and recreational use. She would have served on Lake Rosseau and adjacent waterways, facilitating family outings, cruising among the lakes, and perhaps occasional transport of small timber consignments.

**Incident and change in use.** During her time with the Mutchenbakers, a tragic event occurred: a young family member fell overboard and drowned. After that, the vessel’s prestige and role in the family may have diminished. According to local recollections, “days out on the water never felt the same thereafter.” :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Eventually, the vessel was sold and moved north into the Magnetawan River watershed. There she entered service with the Magnetewan Hardwood Company and later the Magnetewan River & Lakes Steamboat Line, primarily hauling logs or timber rafts. Over the decades she plied the riverine trade, likely under gradual deterioration and repurposing, until around 1920 she was simply abandoned, left to decay in situ.
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Final Dispositions

The “loss” of Theresa was not by dramatic wreck or sinking in a storm but rather by abandonment. By about 1920 she was discarded and left in the river to rot. She was not formally salvaged (as far as records show). Over time, structural collapse, decay, and possibly scavenging of metal fittings likely reduced her remains to little more than submerged timbers or rotting hull sections.

Located By & Date Found

No known formal discovery or diving survey has been documented. The memory of her existence and location survives in local historical accounts (e.g. the *Founded on Stone* volume) and oral tradition. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Notmars & Advisories

None noted. Given her likely shallow, near‑shore riverine remains, any hazard would be local and ephemeral.

Dive Information

Access: Boat (river) or wading / shallow water
Entry Point: Magnetawan River (exact reach unknown)
Conditions: Low visibility common, shallow, possible submerged logs, strong currents in certain seasons
Depth Range: Likely under a few meters (shallow)
Emergency Contacts: Local Ontario water rescue, municipal authorities
Permits: Likely none for abandoned timber wreck in river, but local authorities or landowners should be consulted
Dive Support: None known (no dive shop or charter operating in that specific stretch)

Crew & Casualty Memorials

The only recorded casualty is the youth from the Mutchenbaker family who fell overboard and drowned while aboard Theresa. No burial or memorial details are referenced in the accounts consulted. Further genealogical or local historical research (cemetery records, family archives) might locate more.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“This little vessel had a remarkably diverse history … In 1920 the Theresa was discarded and left to rot in the river.” — *Founded on Stone: Tales of Early Parry Sound District* (excerpt) :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

No formal registry number or enrollment entries have been located. As a small yacht/workboat operating in inland Ontario waters, she may never have been entered in a federal registry, or such records have been lost. Insurance documentation (if any) is not referenced in surviving local histories.

Site Documentation & Imaging

No underwater photographs, sonar scans, or 3D models are known. The site remains undocumented in official marine archaeology or wreck registers.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Chronicling America (Library of Congress)
• Newspapers.com
• Find A Grave

References

1. Excerpt, *Founded on Stone: Tales of Early Parry Sound District* (local history volume) — quoted in Facebook group post “Excerpt from ‘Founded on Stone’ about the Theresa.” :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
2. Post “Theresa plied the Magnetawan River for decades” in local history group. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

NOAA Shipwreck Record Card