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 or Small Steel Vessel (likely commercial fishing craft) — Lake Michigan (U.S. Great Lakes)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Violet
• Build/Registry Period: 1890–1910 (Michigan registry)
• Date of Loss: 24 December 1910
• Location: Lake Michigan, U.S. waters (listed under “Michigan”)
• Cause: Foundering during a storm (details unspecified)
• Cargo/Function: Commercial fishing vessel
• Loss of Life: 5 crew members aboard, none survived (Wikipedia, Wikipedia)

Vessel Type Description

Violet is recorded as a small commercial fishing vessel, possibly a wooden schooner or propeller-craft, tied to fisheries operations. No specific dimensions, hull materials, or tonnage are documented. She is listed in summary shipwreck compilations under the Michigan region.

Incident Overview

On 24 December 1910, during a significant storm, the vessel foundered and sank in Lake Michigan waters. She was lost with five crew members, all presumed perished. The summary indicates she was a total loss with no survivors and no additional technical details, such as cargo or master’s identity (Wikipedia).

History & Ownership

No archival or registry records for Violet have yet been identified; ownership, port of registry, vessel dimensions, or operational history remain undocumented in summary sources.

Final Disposition

Violet sank in open waters of Lake Michigan during a storm and was declared a total loss. No salvage efforts, wreck location, or subsequent discovery records are currently known.

Wreck Status & Dive Notes

No known dive surveys, site plans, or coordinates exist for Violet. The vessel’s wreck site remains undetermined and unexplored, likely due to shallow reporting and lack of salvage interest at the time.

Notmars & Official Notices

There are no Notice to Mariners or official hazard bulletins recorded in conjunction with Violet‘s loss, consistent with limited marine reporting of small fishing vessel losses during the era.

Research Gaps & Recommended Next Steps

• Maritime Registries (circa 1890–1910): Examine U.S. or Michigan fishery vessel rolls, enrollment logs, and registry records that might account for Violet and her crew.
• Regional Newspapers: Papers along Lake Michigan’s coastline (e.g., Milwaukee Journal, Chicago papers, Mackinac or Escanaba press) around December 1910 could contain eyewitness accounts, crew lists, or incident reports.
• Insurance or Coast Guard Records: Fishing vessel losses might be recorded in underwriter ledgers or early U.S. Lifesaving Service logs.
• Historical Fisheries Archives: Investigate state-level fishery department archives for small vessels operating in Lake Michigan near year-end 1910.

Resources & References

• List of Shipwrecks in 1910 – Wikipedia (“24 December 1910” entry): Notes Violet sank in a storm and that all five aboard perished in Michigan waters, but includes no further detail (environment.gov.au, Wikipedia).

Keywords & Categories

Fishing vessel; storm foundering; total loss; Lake Michigan; late December 1910; no survivors; minimal documentation.

Summary

Violet, a commercial fishing vessel lost in Lake Michigan on 24 December 1910, sank during a storm with the tragic loss of all five crew members. Little is known beyond her basic listing in shipwreck compilations. To complete her profile, further archival investigation into registry logs, local newspaper reports, and maritime insurance ledgers is required. Let me know if you’d like assistance sourcing these secondary archives or newspapers.

violet-c1890 1910-12-24 14:29:00