Identification & Site Information

  • Type: Wooden steambarge with single Deck and one mast
  • Built: 1921 at Sturgeon Bay, WI by Walter & O’Boyle (Hull No. 69)
  • Registry: U.S. Official Number 221409
  • Propulsion: Fore-and-aft compound steam engine (18″ × 28″ × 17″) by Manitowoc Steam Boat Company; scotch boiler from Steamer J.S. Crouse (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
  • Original Owner: Traverse City Transportation Company

Dimensions & Tonnage

Operational History

  • Began service in 1921, primarily as a fruit hauler—especially grapes—between Traverse City and Sheboygan
  • Also carried cordwood, livestock, hay, potatoes, and reportedly even bootleg liquor during Prohibition (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
  • Later ownership included E.J. Leway (Cheboygan, MI) and Roen Steam Ship Company
  • In 1937 (Dec 11) the vessel sank in a storm on Lake Huron (further investigation advised)

Transition to Salvage Barge

  • Acquired by Ship Salvage Corporation (Jack Browne) in Milwaukee during WWII (by 1944) to recover scrap metal
  • Cabins removed, used as floating scrap Barge in Milwaukee Harbor (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

Final Disposition

  • 1948: Sank at dock; Coast Guard directed salvage operations
  • Vessel was pumped out, filled with rocks, towed 8 miles offshore; torched and deliberately holed to sink
  • Rests upright in 200 ft of water, Milwaukee Harbor area (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

Wreck Discovery & Condition

  • Discovered mid-1980s when commercial fishing nets snagged on the wreck (first noted ~1981); later confirmed as M.H. Stuart (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)
  • Wreck is upright in deep water with extensive fire damage to superstructure
  • Features visible: decking, rudder, propeller; nets still entangled around bow and Stern (Wisconsin Shipwrecks)

Dive & Survey Information

  • Depth: ~200 ft (60 m) — this depth restricts dives to technical deep-diving protocols
  • Structure largely intact but heavily burned; mooring requires careful planning due to depth and Visibility

Historical & Archaeological Significance

  • Example of early 20th-century fruit steambarge infrastructure on Great Lakes
  • Transitioned to wartime scrap operations, illustrating adaptive reuse
  • Deep-water wreck offers insights into wooden steambarge construction and fire impact underwater

Gaps & Research Recommendations

  • Investigate Coast Guard logs for 1948 scuttling directives and permits
  • Examine logs and crew lists related to the 1937 Lake Huron sinking—National Archives and local newspapers
  • Detailed sonar mapping to assess structural integrity and remaining engine components
  • Dive survey to identify boiler, engine remnants, fire damage patterns

Summary

The M.H. STUART served a diverse Great Lakes career—from hauling fruit and bulk goods to functioning as a WWII-era scrap Barge—before being intentionally scuttled in 1948 in 200-foot-deep waters off Milwaukee. Discovered in the 1980s, the wreck remains largely upright, with engine, propeller, and Hull features intact but fire-affected. It represents a valuable subject for study in wooden steambarge design, WWII maritime salvage practices, and deep-water Great Lakes wreck preservation.