Trude R. Wiehe (1885)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Trude R. Wiehe
• Type: Wooden schooner barge
• Year Built: 1885
• Builder: Unknown, likely a Great Lakes yard near Milwaukee or Cleveland
• Dimensions: Estimated length 130-150 ft (40-45 m); Beam approx. 26 ft (8 m); Depth of hold unknown
• Registered Tonnage: Approx. 400-500 tons
• Location: Parker’s Reef, near Sturgeon Bay, Lake Michigan
• Coordinates: Exact location uncharted, charted as a hazard feature in historical USCG reports
• Official Number: Not conclusively documented
• Original Owners: Owned by a lumber syndicate in Wisconsin at the time of loss
• Number of Masts: Likely retained stub masts for stability under tow

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Trude R. Wiehe was a wooden schooner barge, purpose-built for the lumber trade. These barges were towed by steam tugs between lumber ports and industrial centres around the lower lakes. They were rugged, with large cargo holds and reinforced decks to handle shifting timber loads.

Description

A robust wooden hull with iron fastenings, centreboard construction, and heavy deck beams to support timber cargoes. The vessel likely retained stub masts to help steady her under tow, a common practice among schooner barges of the time.

History

On 12 July 1910, the Trude R. Wiehe was waiting to dock to load a lumber cargo when a storm rose on Lake Michigan. Driven by wind and wave, she was forced aground on Parker’s Reef near Sturgeon Bay.

While stranded, a fire broke out — the precise cause is unrecorded, but lightning or a spark from onboard equipment is possible. The fire consumed her upper works and hull, burning the barge to the waterline. Several other barges in port were threatened but did not burn.

Owned at the time by a lumber syndicate in Wisconsin, the barge was declared a total loss. There is no record of loss of life in the event.

Significant Incidents

• 12 July 1910: The Trude R. Wiehe was driven aground on Parker’s Reef during a storm.
• A fire broke out while stranded, consuming the upper works and hull.
• The vessel was declared a total loss, with no recorded loss of life.

Final Disposition

She was abandoned on Parker’s Reef, burned to the waterline, and eventually collapsed into the shallows. Debris may remain scattered on the lakebed, but no formal survey has documented the remains.

Current Condition & Accessibility

No modern dive surveys have identified structural remains, though the reef is charted as a hazard feature.

Resources & Links

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The Trude R. Wiehe illustrates the dangers faced by lumber barges on the Great Lakes — storms, shoals, and accidental fires were constant threats. Her loss while simply waiting to load lumber highlights how even routine voyages could end in disaster during the era of wooden cargo barges.