Identification & Construction

• Name: Milt Gill
• Official No.: 17350
• Type: Wood scow‑Schooner
• Built: 1861 at Toledo, Ohio
• Dimensions: 41 × 13 × 8 ft; 27 tons burden

Final Voyage & Wreck

• Date of loss: August 6, 1868
• Scenario: Departing with a cargo of lumber and lath, the Milt Gill struck and became stranded ashore on Peche Island in the Detroit River during a sharp squall. Efforts to refloat her initially began but were ultimately Abandoned, and she was officially noted as a total wreck.
  (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Incident Details & Aftermath

• The wreck was likely caused by a combination of storm-driven drift and the vessel’s light cargo load, which made her particularly vulnerable to the current near Peche Island.
• Initial salvage attempts—probably involving hauling equipment and lightening the vessel—were Abandoned late in the season. She was formally declared a wreck, with no indication that her remains were removed.
  (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Historical Significance

• Milt Gill typifies the small lumber-carrying coastal craft of the mid-19th-century Great Lakes region, essential to the local wood trade.
• Her stranding on Peche Island reflects the navigational hazards inherent to the Detroit River’s currents and sudden squalls.
• Though modest in scale, the incident underscores the vulnerability of scow-type vessels to shifting conditions even in inland waterways.

Gaps & Further Research

Conclusion

The Milt Gill, a small scow-Schooner engaged in the lumber-lath trade, stranded on August 6, 1868, ashore Peche Island after losing control in the Detroit River. With cargo lightening futile, salvage was Abandoned and she remained a total wreck.

1. Drafting newspaper archive queries for the August 1868 squall and stranding?
2. Preparing harbor commission or insurance record requests?
3. Proposing a brief site reconnaissance of the wreck area near Peche Island?