Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Thomas Simms
- Type: Schooner
- Year Built: 1861
- Builder:
- Dimensions: Length X ft (Y m); Beam; Depth of hold
- Registered Tonnage:
- Location: Pierport, Michigan
- Original Owners: Based in Chicago, employed in the lumber trade.
- Number of Masts: Two
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A two-masted wooden schooner of approximately mid-19th-century construction. Designed for bulk freight—primarily hardwood lumber in her final voyage.
Description
Built in 1861, Thomas Simms would have featured typical schooner characteristics of the period: a shallow draft hull for Great Lakes navigation, fore-and-aft rigging with two masts, and a single deck.
History
- Ownership: Based in Chicago, employed in the lumber trade.
- Final Cargo: Hardwood lumber destined for Chicago.
Significant Incidents
- Casualties: None reported
- Salvage: Cargo and fittings were recovered; vessel stripped and abandoned
- Registry Status: Listed in the 1884 Merchant Vessels register as “lost or otherwise out of service.”
Final Disposition
The schooner remained beached and broken up at Pierport. No known efforts were made to refloat her. The site later absorbed into shoreline, with remains disappearing over subsequent seasons.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known dive or archaeological surveys have occurred; site may be buried or eroded.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”thomas-simms-1861″ title=”References & Links”]
The Thomas Simms is a representative example of the many late-19th-century wooden schooners employed in the Lake Michigan lumber trade. Her career ended abruptly in the foul weather off Pierport on November 23, 1882, with no loss of life but complete destruction of the hull. While her cargo and equipment were salvaged, her remains were abandoned along the shore. Archival research and potential field surveys could yield additional technical data and context regarding her construction, crew, and exact site location.
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.
(wooden schooner, built 1861)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Thomas Simms
- Built: 1861
- Homeport: Chicago (documented in vessel registries) (Huron Daily Tribune, Wikipedia)
- Final Voyage: On November 23, 1882, she was loading hardwood lumber at Pierport, Michigan, bound for Chicago (Huron Daily Tribune).
- Loss Location: Driven ashore at Pierport (just north of Manistee) by a severe storm (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
Vessel Type
A two-masted wooden schooner of approximately mid‑19th‑century construction. Designed for bulk freight—primarily hardwood lumber in her final voyage.
Description
Built in 1861, Thomas Simms would have featured typical schooner characteristics of the period: a shallow draft hull for Great Lakes navigation, fore-and-aft rigging with two masts, and a single deck.
History
- Ownership: Based in Chicago, employed in the lumber trade. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Huron Daily Tribune, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Final Cargo: Hardwood lumber destined for Chicago. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Incident
On November 23, 1882, as she loaded cargo at Pierport, a sudden and fierce storm struck. The schooner broke free from moorings and was driven ashore, suffering a catastrophic grounding. The hull fractured into two—declared a total wreck but later stripped of gear and lumber. (Huron Daily Tribune)
- Casualties: None reported
- Salvage: Cargo and fittings were recovered; vessel stripped and abandoned
- Registry Status: Listed in the 1884 Merchant Vessels register as “lost or otherwise out of service.” (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Final Disposition
The schooner remained beached and broken up at Pierport. No known efforts were made to refloat her. The site later absorbed into shoreline, with remains disappearing over subsequent seasons.
Archival Gaps & Further Investigation
- Construction Details: Builder, measurements, vessel blueprints—may be retrievable via Chicago registry or Michigan shipyard records (circa 1861).
- Crew Manifest: Names and crew accounts during the 1882 incident remain unverified; local newspapers (Manistee News‑Advocate, Traverse City Record‑Eagle) from November 1882 may include archival reports.
- Insurance and Legal Notices: Chicago-based underwriters and port authorities likely hold paperwork related to the claim or formal abandonment.
- Physical Remains: No known dive or archaeological surveys have occurred; site may be buried or eroded.
Conclusion
The Thomas Simms is a representative example of the many late‑19th‑century wooden schooners employed in the Lake Michigan lumber trade. Her career ended abruptly in the foul weather off Pierport on November 23, 1882, with no loss of life but complete destruction of the hull. While her cargo and equipment were salvaged, her remains were abandoned along the shore. Archival research and potential field surveys could yield additional technical data and context regarding her construction, crew, and exact site location.
Would you like assistance accessing contemporary newspaper accounts, registry entries from 1861, or port insurance documentation to augment this profile?
thomas-simms-1861 1882-11-23 13:05:00