Witch Of The West – Lake Huron Tug Shipwreck (1903)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: Witch of the West
• Type: Wooden screw tug (towboat)
• Year Built: 1856
• Builder: William Gramp
• Dimensions: Length 59 ft (18.0 m); Beam 13.4 ft (4.1 m); Depth of hold 5 ft (1.5 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 38 tons (old style)
• Depth at Wreck Site: 1.5 m / 5 ft
• Location: Port Huron, Michigan
• Official Number: 26345

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

Wooden screw tug (towboat), single-deck, high-pressure steam-powered vessel designed primarily for towing and harbour service.

Description

The Witch of the West was a small, robust wooden tug equipped with a single high-pressure steam engine (16″ x 17″ stroke) and a tubular boiler rated at 100 psi. Dimensions:

• Length: 59 ft (18.0 m)
• Beam: 13.4 ft (4.1 m)
• Depth: 5 ft (1.5 m)
• Tonnage: 38 tons (old style)

She was representative of mid-19th-century American harbour tugs—compact, high-powered for her size, and capable of log rafting and industrial towing.

History

• 1856, Jul 31: First enrollment in Philadelphia, PA.
• 1858: Registered Toledo, OH; regional operations begin.
• 1860–1863: Operated by Miller & Hand, later A. Hand of Toledo.
• 1863, Dec: Sank at wharf in the Maumee River; raised and repaired.
• 1866–1870: Transferred to John O. Woolson in Bay City, MI.
• 1875: Underwent rebuild.
• 1882, Sep: Burned on the Saginaw River while towing a log raft; later repaired.
• 1903, Jun 30: Declared unfit and officially abandoned at Port Huron, MI. Machinery transferred to new vessel named Witch.

Significant Incidents

No significant incidents noted beyond operational history and eventual abandonment.

Final Disposition

• Final Location: Port Huron, Michigan
• Date: 30 June 1903
• How: Abandoned; machinery salvaged and reused in a successor tug

No physical wreck exists; vessel was decommissioned, stripped, and disposed of as unserviceable.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Not applicable. The vessel was retired and dismantled on land.

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”witch-of-the-west-us-26345″ title=”References & Links”]

The Witch of the West represents a typical evolution of a 19th-century Great Lakes tug—from a Philadelphia build to Great Lakes service. With over 45 years of documented operation, including salvage, rebuild, and repeated ownership changes, she exemplifies the extended lifecycle and utilitarian role of wooden steam towboats. Her machinery’s reuse underscores common economic practices of the era.