Identification & Site Information

  • Name(s): Cora Lock
  • Official Number: 5977
  • Year Built: 1867
  • Built at: Perrysburg, Ohio
  • Final Disposition Date: 1881
  • Final Location: Not specifically recorded; documents surrendered at Port Huron, Michigan
  • Cause: Fire

Vessel Type

  • Type: Steamer (Riverboat configuration)
  • Propulsion: Sidewheel
  • Construction: Wooden Hull, single-Deck river Steamer

Description

The Cora Lock was a modest-sized river Steamer likely intended for freight and passenger traffic along inland routes. Her dimensions reflect suitability for shallow water operations:

  • Length: 27.9 m (91.7 ft)
  • Beam: 10.1 m (33 ft)
  • Depth: 1.5 m (5 ft)
  • Gross Tonnage: 95 tons

History

  • 1867: Built in Perrysburg, Ohio by shipbuilder Hossack.
  • 1871: Owned by L.C. Lock, Perrysburg, OH.
  • 1874, July 30: Ownership transferred to Wes. Hawkins of Bay City, Michigan.
  • 1876: Operated under SR Steamboat Co., Bay City.
  • 1879: Operated by the Saginaw Steamboat Co., East Saginaw, MI.
  • 1881: Vessel burned (details unrecorded), with documents officially surrendered on 15 December 1881 at Port Huron, MI.

Final Disposition

The vessel was destroyed by fire in 1881. The precise circumstances of the fire are not documented, nor is the exact site of the incident clearly recorded beyond administrative closure at Port Huron.

Located By & Date Found

  • Status: Not located or documented as a wreck site.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Cora Lock was a typical 19th-century Great Lakes river Steamer, serving a variety of owners along the Saginaw and Bay City routes. Its destruction by fire and lack of physical recovery makes it a lost vessel of limited archaeological interest, though representative of regional transport patterns of the period.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

River Steamer, Great Lakes, sidewheel, wooden Hull, fire loss, inland navigation, 19th century, Bay City, Perrysburg, Port Huron.