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.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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