(built circa 1864; lost June 1883)
Identification & Site Information
- Name: Spartan
- Approximate Build Year: circa 1864 (exact Registry Number, yard, or tonnage not found)
- Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner—likely a bulk cargo vessel, possibly carrying iron ore or lumber
- Loss Date: June 1883 (variously cited as June 22)
- Loss Location: Lake Superior, near the Superior harbor region
- Cargo at Time of Loss: Not specified—possibly heavy bulk, inferred from typical trade routes
Circumstances of Loss
- In dense fog, Spartan ran onto rocks, became stranded, and was wrecked. She slid off the rocks fully loaded or upright, then broke apart from contact with submerged hazard and wave action.
- Details are minimal; however, she is noted as struck rocks and was lost while experiencing poor Visibility conditions.
- No fatalities are recorded in the summary files.
Final Disposition
- The vessel was wrecked on shore/rocks; she did not sink offshore but was destroyed by exposure and impact.
- No salvage or recovery actions are documented in surviving references.
Survey Status & Physical Remains
- No modern dive surveys or archaeological documentation identify Spartan’s remains. Likely lies in shallow rocky shoals near the harbor entrance, buried or destroyed.
Summary Table
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Spartan |
| Built | ca. 1864 (unknown yard/registry) |
| Vessel Type | Wooden Schooner (bulk freighter) |
| Cargo | Not documented |
| Loss Date | June 1883 (approx. June 22) |
| Loss Location | Lake Superior, off Superior harbor |
| Cause | Struck rocks in fog, stranded, wrecked |
| Crew & Casualties | Not mentioned—appear none |
| Fate | Wrecked and broken on rocks |
| Wreck Located | Not identified in modern records |
Research Limitations & Pathways Forward
Gaps in the record:
- No Registry Number, owner or master information, vessel dimensions, or cargo logs.
- Official casualty or insurance records appear unavailable in publicly indexed listings.
- No local newspaper citation for fog‑related stranding or crew accounts.
Recommended next steps:
- Search local newspapers—Superior Telegram or Duluth papers from mid‑June 1883 may include wreck or near‑miss notices.
- Review port authority logs at Superior, WI, covering June 1883 for non‑routine harbour incidents.
- Examine U.S. or Canadian vessel registry books for 1883 listing a vessel named Spartan along Superior’s Great Lakes trade lanes.
- Consider a shallow sonar survey near Superior harbor entrance where fog‑stranding hazards were likely, as a means of locating submerged Keel or ballast remains.
Conclusion
The Schooner Spartan was lost in June 1883 after running onto rocks in fog near Superior harbor on Lake Superior. While her stranding and wreck are confirmed in summary records, no details survive regarding dimensions, owner, crew, or exact location. With no modern wreck identification, archival research and possible localized survey would be the most promising ways to fill in this vessel’s history. If you wish, I can help initiate searches within newspaper archives or registry collections.