Shotline Diving

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William Peacock (1829)

Explore the history of the William Peacock, an early sidewheel steamer that faced numerous challenges during its service on Lake Erie.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: William Peacock
  • Type: Steamer
  • Year Built: 1829
  • Builder: Asa Standart
  • Dimensions: Length 102 ft (31.1 m); Beam 19 ft (5.8 m); Depth of hold 7.5 ft (2.3 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 120 tons
  • Location: Near Ripley, OH
  • Original Owners: Eliphalet Tinker et al.; later Joseph White
  • Number of Masts: 2 (brig-rigged)

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The William Peacock was a sidewheel wooden steamer built early in Great Lakes steam navigation, reflecting a transitional design combining sail and steam. These hybrid vessels carried masts to supplement their sidewheel steam propulsion, as steam reliability was still uncertain.

Description

This vessel, with its wooden hull and sidewheel propulsion, was typical of early Lake Erie steamers built to serve the growing passenger and package freight trades between Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, and other ports.

History

Launched in 1829 at Barcelona, New York, William Peacock was initially owned by Eliphalet Tinker and partners. She began service that same year from Buffalo.

Key historical events include:

  • 1830, May 1 – Sold to Charles Reed
  • 1830, Aug 19 – Collided with the steamer Sheldon Thompson near Erie, PA, but was repaired
  • 1830, Sep 17 – A catastrophic steam pipe explosion killed 15 people at Buffalo, Lake Erie; this is considered the first recorded boiler explosion on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes. The vessel was repaired afterward.
  • 1831, Apr – Driven ashore by ice at Erie, Lake Erie, but freed and repaired
  • 1833–1834 – Regularly ran routes between Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo
  • 1835, Jun – Grounded near Dunkirk, NY, but released

After about six seasons of service and multiple mishaps, the William Peacock was broken up near Ripley, Ohio, on Lake Erie, in 1835.

Significant Incidents

  • 1830: Collision with Sheldon Thompson
  • 1830: First recorded boiler explosion on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes
  • 1831: Driven ashore by ice
  • 1835: Grounded near Dunkirk, NY

Final Disposition

  • Final Location: Near Ripley, OH, Lake Erie
  • Date: 1835
  • Fate: Broken up (no known wreckage remaining)

Current Condition & Accessibility

No remains have been recorded or documented, as the vessel was dismantled.

Resources & Links

References are being reviewed for this wreck.

The William Peacock represents a critical early chapter in Great Lakes steam navigation history, combining sail and steam propulsion and surviving several serious accidents, including the first known steam explosion on the American side of the lakes. Her operating life highlights the hazards and rapid technological change of the 1830s inland maritime industry.