Identification & Site Information
- Name: Keweenaw
- Official No.: Not listed
- Build/Launch: 1866 (sometimes cited as 1867)
- Place of Loss: Harbor at Grand Marais, Michigan, Lake Superior
- Date of Loss: November 8, 1901
- Cause: Wrecked in a northerly storm, driven broadside onto beach. No fatalities reported (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Vessel Type
- Originally built as a Schooner, later converted into a Schooner‑Barge for bulk freight.
- Material: Wood
- Rig: 2‑masted
- Usage: Bulk freighter (likely lumber, ore, or pulpwood) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Description
- Dimensions: Length ≈ 133 ft; Beam ≈ 27 ft; Depth ≈ 11 ft
- Tonnage: 272 gross register tons (GRT); 245 net register tons (NRT) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Construction: Traditional wooden Hull with cargo hold for bulk materials.
- Likely had basic accommodations for a small crew.
History
- Original Build: 1866 by McDole & Lester (Marine City or Newport) as a Schooner.
- Career: Operated as a bulk cargo vessel on Lake Superior, common for the era. No records of a formal Rebuild, but functionally served as a Barge later.
- Crew & Ownership: Records do not list owner or master. No casualties occurred at loss.
- Service history between build and loss remains undocumented in accessible archives—a common gap for smaller wooden vessels.
Final Disposition
- Weather Event: A sudden northeasterly (northerly) storm struck as the vessel entered—or was moored in—the harbor mouth.
- Action: The vessel was blown broadside onto the beach, sustaining catastrophic Hull damage leading to abandonment or breaking up.
- Life Crew: All survived; no fatalities recorded (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
- Aftermath: Likely considered a constructive Total Loss—no evidence of salvage or documented inquiries exist.
Located By & Date Found
- No modern rediscovery records or sonar documentation found.
- Wreck likely lies beached or nearshore in the harbor itself; may have degraded or been reclaimed naturally over time.
- No archaeological survey or recent dive documentation located.
NOTMARs & Advisories
None recorded in official navigational warnings or Lightship bulletins. Harbour wrecks of this type typically fell outside such advisories.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files – “K” list: entry on Keweenaw (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)
- Baillod’s Keweenaw Peninsula Wreck Index: highlights regional wrecks but does not list Keweenaw (baillod.com)
Gaps & Further Research
| Unknown | Recommended Investigation |
|---|---|
| Ownership & Crew names | Search Port Huron and Marquette newspapers, manifests, Coast Guard or Lifesaving Service records. |
| Precise construction data | Check enrollment records via USACE digital collections or BGSU vessel registry. |
| Salvage or lawsuit outcomes | Look into local court or insurance company archives around Grand Marais, MI. |
| Physical remains | Modern side‑scan sonar or diver survey in Grand Marais harbor, possibly via Keweenaw Underwater Preserve initiatives (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, michiganpreserves.org). |
Conclusion
Keweenaw appears to have been a modest wooden Schooner‑Barge lost during a sudden storm in November 1901, driven ashore in Grand Marais harbor without loss of life. Although the vessel’s basic dimensions and fate are recorded, personal details and official aftermath are absent—unearthed only through local archival research and physical survey. A focused dive/archaeological mission, combined with regional archive mining, could yield vessel remains, ownership data, and deeper documentation.
Keywords & Categories
Region: Lake Superior – Grand Marais, MI
Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner‑Barge
Material: Wood
Loss Cause: Storm grounding
Date of Loss: November 8, 1901
Crew: Survived – no fatalities
Archival Gaps: Ownership, crew, salvage details
Dive Site Feasibility: Potential shallow‑water beach remains