Identification & Vessel Details
- Vessel Name: Senator
- Official Number: 22 917
- Year Built: 1863
- Built At: Clayton, New York
- Type: Wooden Schooner (single-Deck, two‑masted)
- Builder: S. G. Johnson
- Dimensions: 136 ft L × 26 ft beam × 13 ft depth; approx. 396 old‑style gross tons
- Original Owner: C. Smyth et al., Oswego, NY
- Hull: Wood
Operational & Chronological History
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1863 | Enrolled in Oswego, NY, owned by Smyth & Johnson |
| 1865–1868 | Re-measurement yields 332–396 gross tons |
| 1871 | Ownership transferred to McEvoy & Brothers, Oswego |
| 1874 | Underwent major repairs |
| 1879 | Gound incident (details unclear) |
| 1880–1899 | Converted to Barge and used extensively in Lake Superior iron-ore hauling; towed by vessels like Cormorant, Charles Wall, Mineral Rock, etc. |
| 1887 | Collided in Detroit, damaging tow vessels (e.g., Watson) |
| 1915 | Abandoned in Sturgeon Bay, WI due to age and Hull degradation; registry closed |
Final Disposition & Site Information
- Location: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (Lake Michigan)
- Date Abandoned: 1914–1915
- Cause: Age-related deterioration and Hull weakening, rendering the vessel unseaworthy
- Disposition: Left in shallow water—cause of final resting state; broken remains are submerged at approx. 15 ft depth in Sturgeon Bay (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, Internet Archive, wisconsinshipwrecks.org, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Current Condition: Hull is broken but identifiable and visible underwater
Historical & Archaeological Significance
- The Senator represents the evolution from sail-powered schooners to later uses as barges in heavy bulk trade such as iron ore
- Adaptations for towing and repeated service over decades demonstrate vessel longevity and economic usage of Great Lakes wooden craft
- The abandonment of the Senator illustrates a common fate of aging wooden vessels—transitioning from active use to static maritime infrastructure
Keywords & Categories
- Region: Lake Michigan → Sturgeon Bay, WI
- Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner → iron-ore Barge
- Cause of Loss: Abandonment due to Hull degradation
- Casualties: None recorded at abandonment
- Operational Period: 1863–1915
- Wreck Status: Submerged, shallow-depth remains; diver-accessible
- Significance: Adaptive reuse, maritime industrial heritage
Research Sources
- Wisconsin Shipwrecks database entry: “Senator served until Abandoned at Sturgeon Bay for age and poor Hull condition in 1914 or 1915” (Charlotte County, FL, wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
- Overview of Sturgeon Bay wrecks: included in Wisconsin’s Historic Shipwrecks report (e.g., Dan Hayes, Ida Corning, etc.), describing “broken in 15 ft of water in Sturgeon Bay” (wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
Recommended Next Steps
- Field Survey: Undertake shallow-water dive to triangulate the wreck site and assess condition
- Archival Search: Review Sturgeon Bay newspapers (1914–1915) and port records for details on registry abandonment and possible salvage efforts
- Historical Contextualization: Investigate local museum or maritime heritage collections for Barge Conversion documentation and community use of the Senator