Identification & Site Information

  • Name: GOLDEN RULE
  • Date Built & Launched: 1884 (as per your entry)
  • Official Number(s): Not recorded in the usual Great Lakes ship registries
  • Type of Vessel: (Not explicitly stated; likely a small sailing or steam vessel)
  • Dimensions: Not specified
  • Date Lost: 24 September (year implied 1884)
  • Location Lost: Lake Superior
  • Cause of Loss: Capsized in a storm
  • Owner/Captain: Under command of Captain Plant
  • Casualties: 2 (as noted)
  • Voyage: Final operation out of Superior, Wisconsin

Vessel Type

The exact type—whether steam-powered or sail-equipped—remains unclear. The name and era suggest a small trading or passenger vessel typical of late‑19th‑century Lake Superior traffic.

Description

Scant documentation exists beyond your entry: the GOLDEN RULE capsized during a storm on Lake Superior on 24 September 1884 (inferred), with Captain Plant aboard. Two lives were lost. No builder, registry, or ship dimensions are currently recorded. This loss aligns with numerous storm-related maritime tragedies on Lake Superior in the 1880s, known for unpredictable, violent weather during autumn months.

History

Without formal registry data, the vessel’s backstory remains elusive. Its final voyage from the port of Superior indicates commercial or regional passenger operations—perhaps transporting freight or people within the central Lake Superior corridor. Severe storms are a common hazard in Lake Superior during late September, and many ships without robust storm preparedness capsized in such conditions.

Final Disposition

The GOLDEN RULE is presumed to rest underwater in an uncharted location of Lake Superior. No official coordinates, surveys, or archaeological records seem to exist.

Located By & Date Found

No records for discovery, exploration, or deep-water archaeological study. The wreck remains “lost” in the sense of unlocated.

Notations & Advisories

No entries in Notice to Mariners or official hazard bulletins. The wreck is presumed unmarked and poses no known navigation risk.

Resources & Links

No references found on major databases like:

  • 3DShipwrecks.org
  • greatlakeships.org
  • maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
  • BGSU vessel registry
  • Save Ontario Shipwrecks, etc.

Your curated info mirrors what appears in incomplete catalogs or local lore.

Conclusion

The GOLDEN RULE, lost on 24 September 1884 with Captain Plant aboard and two lives lost, remains one of Lake Superior’s many unlocated storm casualties. Without builder data, dimensions, or coordinates, the vessel stands as a fragmentary yet human story of the region’s volatile navigation history.

 Recommended Next Steps for Further Research:

  • Examine contemporary newspapers in Superior, WI and Duluth, MN from late September–October 1884 (e.g., via Chronicling America or local historical societies).
  • Consult Superior, WI museum archives, Great Lakes maritime museums, or regional genealogical societies about Captain Plant and burial records.
  • Check shipping company logs or port registries at Superior’s pier records (likely housed in Wisconsin Historical Society).