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Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

Description

The Indian Queen was a wooden side-wheel Steamer constructed in 1844 by Taylor & Jewett of Buffalo, New York. Measuring 109 feet in length with a beam of 16 feet and a depth of 7 feet, she registered at 112 tons. Like many early steamers on the Great Lakes, she combined passenger and cargo service but was lightly built compared to later iron and steel vessels.

History

Launched during the rapid expansion of steam navigation on the Great Lakes, the Indian Queen represented the emerging side-wheel Steamer design. She was employed in regional trade and passenger service on Lake Erie, a heavily traveled corridor in the 1840s.

Her service life was brief. On 19 November 1846, while operating on Lake Erie near Dunkirk, New York, the vessel was caught in a severe storm. Driven ashore at Battery Point, she broke in two and became a Total Loss. While early newspapers do not list fatalities, later sources claim that up to 20 lives may have been lost, though this remains unverified.

Final Dispositions

The Indian Queen was driven ashore and broke apart near Dunkirk, New York. Declared a Total Loss, she was never repaired or returned to service. The wreckage likely deteriorated quickly along the shoreline.

Located By & Date Found

The wreck has not been documented or positively identified in modern times. No archaeological survey has confirmed surviving remains.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No modern navigational hazards are associated with the Indian Queen.

Dive Information

Access: Wreck not located
Entry Point: N/A
Conditions: N/A
Depth Range: N/A
Emergency Contacts: U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Buffalo
Permits: Not applicable
Dive Support: None (wreck not extant)

Crew & Casualty Memorials

Casualty reports are conflicting: contemporary newspapers reported no loss of life, while later accounts cite up to 20 fatalities. Individual crew/passenger names have not been identified. Additional memorial research is suggested through Find A Grave and regional cemetery records.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“The Steamer Indian Queen, driven ashore near Dunkirk during the gale of November 19, has been broken in two and is a total wreck.” — Contemporary press reports, 1846.

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

The vessel predates federal official numbering systems. Enrollment records from Buffalo (1844–46) may exist in U.S. Customs archives. No insurance or ownership documentation has been located in digitized sources.

Site Documentation & Imaging

No modern site documentation exists. The wreck is presumed destroyed or buried in shoreline sediments near Battery Point, Dunkirk, New York.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU/HCGL)
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Newspapers.com (for 1846 press reports)

References

1. Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, November 1846 – reports of loss.
2. David Swayze, Great Lakes Shipwreck File (archival listing of wrecks).
3. Maritime History of the Great Lakes – vessel listings.

NOAA Shipwreck Record Card