Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Forbes, Christina A.
  • Official number: 125649
  • Year built: 1878, West Bay City, Michigan
  • Builder: F.W. Wheeler
  • Vessel type: Wooden screw propeller-driven river Steamer
  • Original owner: William Forbes, Port Huron, MI
  • Dimensions: 22.43 m (73.6 ft) length × 4.57 m (15 ft) beam × 1.52 m (5 ft) depth
  • Tonnage: 51.48 GT / 41.82 NT
  • Final location: Near Bay City, Michigan on the Saginaw River
  • Loss date: 7 September 1895
  • Loss cause: Fire; burnt to the water’s edge (Wikipedia, shipbuildinghistory.com, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Vessel Type

A small harbour and river Steamer suited for freight and passenger operations along the Saginaw River and connecting Michigan ports.

Description

A single-Deck wooden screw Steamer powered by a single-cylinder steam engine. Designed for river service, it was compact and manoeuvrable—likely outfitted with minimal accommodations suitable for short voyages and cargo runs.

History & Chronology

  • Mar 1878: Enrolment at Port Huron under owner Wm Forbes
  • 3 Mar 1891: Ownership transferred to Frank A. Smith, Port Huron
  • 4 Feb 1892: Subsequent ownership change to Michael Maher, Port Huron
  • 7 Sep 1895: Destroyed by fire while moored on the Saginaw River near Bay City, MI; burned down to the waterline

Final Disposition

The vessel burned to the water’s edge and was declared a Total Loss. The Hull was rendered inoperable and cannot be considered a wreck site suitable for investigation or diving.

Located By & Date Found

No underwater remains; the Hull was likely salvaged, scrapped, or left partly submerged along the river bank.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No modern navigational warnings or hazard advisories; fire occurred over a century ago at a riverside dock.

Resources & Links

  • List of shipwrecks 1895 – recording the fire loss on the Saginaw River (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)
  • Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – details indicating Saginaw River loss without loss of life (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
  • Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory & U.S. enrollment records – documented career and ownership changes

Shore Dive Information

Not applicable. Vessel was destroyed by fire at a dock; as such no diveable wreck remains.

Conclusion

The Christina A. Forbes served for nearly two decades as a small river Steamer on the Saginaw River before succumbing to a destructive fire in 1895. Burned to the waterline, the vessel did not sink but was rendered unusable and removed from service. Today, it remains a footnote in Michigan maritime history rather than a physical wreck—highlighting the common risk of fire among small steam vessels of that era.

Keywords & Glossary

  • Wooden screw Steamer | River freight vessel | Saginaw River fire | 1895 wreck | Small steam launch | Harbour Tug