Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: William C / US 217513 (Atwater, Coulee)
- Type: Bulk Freighter
- Year Built: 1919
- Builder: Great Lakes Engineering Works
- Dimensions: Length 253.33 ft (77.2 m); Beam 43.58 ft (13.3 m); Depth of hold 24.42 ft (7.4 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 2,450 GT
- Location: Lake Michigan
- Official Number: 217513
- Original Owners: U.S. Shipping Board; G.A. Tomlinson; Fall River Navigation Co.
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Propeller-driven steel cargo freighter built for the U.S. Shipping Board, typical of wartime designs for materials transport.
Description
Constructed in early 1919 by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, MI (Hull #212). A steel-hulled, propeller bulk carrier typical of U.S. Shipping Board designs built for wartime materials transport. The freighter configuration was ideal for general cargo and ore-hauling.
History
- 1919–1922: Owned by U.S. Shipping Board
- 1922–1928: Owned privately by G.A. Tomlinson
- 1928–1945: Owned by Fall River Navigation Co. and renamed Atwater, William C.
- 1945–1946: Transferred to U.S. Maritime Commission
Fall River Navigation Company primarily used it for coal transport; Atwater, William C. was named after the founder William C. Atwater.
Significant Incidents
- 1946: Vessel was dismantled and scuttled. There’s evidence suggesting she may have been used as a target ship or stripped before sinking post-World War II scrapping.
Final Disposition
- Removed from active registry
- Parts likely salvaged before scuttling
- No formal salvage report located in U.S. archival holdings
Current Condition & Accessibility
The wreck is confirmed to be in Lake Michigan, but specific details about its current condition and accessibility for divers are not documented.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”william-c-us-217513-atwater-coulee” title=”References & Links”]
The Coulee, later Atwater, William C., was a 1919-built steel freighter representing the U.S. wartime shipbuilding surge. After private service in coal and ore transport, she was retired in 1946 and scuttled. While basic technical details and ownership lineage are verified, deeper archival research could uncover more about her operational life, final voyage, and place in Great Lakes maritime heritage.
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.
Postcard: at Canadian National Elevator, Port Arthur, Ontario
Creator: Lovelady Studios
Name of original file : COULEE_002.jp2
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Official Number: 217513
- Registry: United States
- Hull Number: 00212 (Great Lakes Engineering Works yard)
- Names & Active Dates:
- COULEE (1919–1928)
- ATWATER, WILLIAM C. (1928–1946) under U.S. registry, ON 217513
- Propeller-driven steel cargo freighter built for the U.S. Shipping Board
- Dimensions & Tonnage
- Length: 253.33 ft (77.2 m)
- Beam: 43.58 ft (13.3 m)
- Depth: 24.42 ft (7.4 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 2,450 GT
- Net Tonnage: 1,485 NT
Description & Build
Constructed in early 1919 by Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, MI (Hull #212). A steel-hulled, propeller bulk carrier typical of U.S. Shipping Board designs built for wartime materials transport (shipbuildinghistory.com, MEANDERING MICHIGAN HISTORY, The Library of Congress, Wikipedia). Freighter configuration ideal for general cargo and ore-hauling.
History & Ownership
- 1919–1922: Owned by U.S. Shipping Board
- 1922–1928: Owned privately by G.A. Tomlinson
- 1928–1945: Owned by Fall River Navigation Co. and renamed Atwater, William C. (Wikipedia)
- 1945–1946: Transferred to U.S. Maritime Commission
Fall River Navigation Company primarily used it for coal transport; Atwater, William C. named after the founder William C. Atwater (Wikipedia).
Disposition & Final Fate
- 1946: Vessel was dismantled and scuttled
- There’s evidence suggesting she may have been used as a target ship or stripped before sinking post-World War II scrapping .
Final Disposition Details
- Removed from active registry
- Parts likely salvaged before scuttling
- No formal salvage report located in U.S. archival holdings
Gaps & Research Opportunities
While HCGL confirms build and disposition, additional primary records would enrich the profile, such as:
- Service logs or deck logs (1919–1945) – possibly in National Archives under U.S. Shipping Board
- Crew lists and casualty records – including immigration or crew agreements
- Fall River Navigation Co. archives – potentially held at Massachusetts historical societies
- Maritime Commission documentation – especially for the 1945–1946 transitional period
- Newspaper archives for sale, renaming, or scuttling events in 1946
Resources & Links
- HCGL vessel record – Coulee/Atwater
- Great Lakes Vessels – Coulee
- Shipbuilding History – GLEW list: confirms build and scrapping (shipbuildinghistory.com, Detroit Historical Society, Wikipedia)
- Wikipedia – Great Lakes Engineering Works: context on builder operations (Wikipedia)
- Fall River Navigation Company summary: confirms naming and usage
- Great Lakes Ships – Coulee
Conclusion
The Coulee, later Atwater, William C., was a 1919-built steel freighter representing the U.S. wartime shipbuilding surge. After private service in coal and ore transport, she was retired in 1946 and scuttled. While basic technical details and ownership lineage are verified, deeper archival research—such as crew casualty logs, Maritime Commission and company-specific records—could uncover more about her operational life, final voyage, and place in Great Lakes maritime heritage.
Next-Step Research Suggestions
- Consult National Archives (Record Group 26) for U.S. Shipping Board ship plans and logs
- Review Fall River Historical Society for corporate files, crew records
- Investigate NOAA/USCG if any Notices to Mariners were issued upon scuttling
- Search Chronicling America and Newspapers.com for 1946 references to dismantling/sinking events
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