Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Grace Grummond
  • Former Names: None formally recorded (likely de‑engined from prior steam service)
  • Official Number / Registry: 85552
  • Year Built: 1869
  • Builder: Unknown yard, New York, NY
  • Vessel Type: Iron‑hulled Schooner (formerly steam screw)
  • Rig: Schooner
  • Hull Material: Iron
  • Dimensions:
    • Length: 136.60 ft (41.6 m)
    • Beam: 21.80 ft (6.6 m)
    • Depth of Hold: 9.00 ft (2.7 m)
  • Gross Tonnage: 205.50 tons
  • Propulsion: Sail (steam machinery removed prior to abandonment)
  • Masts: 0 noted (indicates de‑rigged at end of service)
  • Home Port: Chicago, Illinois
  • Primary Owner(s): Recorded to Maxont S. (possibly Maxon & Sons – Great Lakes carrier, needs archival confirmation)

Location of Loss:

  • Body of Water: Lake Michigan, Milwaukee Harbor
  • County: Milwaukee, WI
  • Nearest City: Milwaukee, WI
  • Coordinates: N 43° 01.447′ / W 087° 54.207′
  • Depth: 0–20 ft (shallow abandonment site along harbor breakwall)

Service History

The Grace Grummond began service as a U.S. Steam Screw Vessel in 1869. At some point, she was stripped of her engine and converted to an unpowered Schooner Barge, a common fate for aging iron screw vessels during the 1870s–1880s.

Key points:

  • 1869: Completed at New York and enrolled for Great Lakes service.
  • 1870s–1880s: Operated in bulk cargo trades, likely carrying coal, stone, or lumber between Lake Michigan ports.
  • Late Career: Relegated to low‑value cargo or lay‑up storage work.

Her final enrollment was surrendered in 1897, indicating retirement and abandonment.

Final Voyage & Disposition

  • 1897: Grace Grummond was Abandoned in Milwaukee Harbor.
  • The Hull was likely stripped of all valuable ironwork and gear, then towed to the harbor disposal site near the north breakwall, an area where several small wooden tugs (Golden and Sioux) and obsolete vessels were scuttled.
  • No casualties are recorded.
  • Harbor dredging and shoreline modifications may have partially buried the wreck.

Located By & Condition

  • Current Coordinates: N 43° 01.447′ / W 087° 54.207′ (Milwaukee Harbor, west of the north breakwall)
  • Depth: Estimated 0–20 ft (may be buried in sediment or riprap)
  • Archaeological Potential:
    • Iron Hull remains may survive in fragmented form.
    • Likely buried under harbor fill or rubble due to 20th‑century breakwall work.

Research Notes

  • Archival verification needed for:
    • Exact prior steam vessel name/ID before Conversion to Schooner.
    • Ownership history: “Maxont S.” likely mis‑transcribed; should check U.S. Customs enrollment records (Chicago) and HCGL vessel index.
  • Historic harbor charts (1890–1910) and USACE disposal maps may confirm her scuttling footprint.

Resources & References

Historical Context

The Grace Grummond is representative of the transitional era in Great Lakes shipping, when early iron‑hulled steamers were often stripped and converted into sailing or unpowered barges before final scuttling.

Her abandonment in 1897 placed her among a cluster of harbor hulks that were dismantled and sunk rather than commercially scrapped, a cost‑saving method commonly used in Milwaukee at the time.