Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Yantic
  • • Other Names: IX-32 (1921-1926)
  • • Official Number: None (U.S. Navy vessel)
  • • Vessel Type at Loss: Screw Bark Warship, Nipsic-class
  • Builder: Philadelphia Navy Yard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Year Built & Launched: 1864
  • Specifications: 180 ft (54.9 m) x 30 ft (9.1 m) x 12 ft (3.7 m)
    • Displacement: 900 tons
  • Date Lost: October 22, 1929
  • Location of Loss: Foot of Townsend Street, Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan
  • Cause of Loss: Hull failure
  • Loss of Life: None
  • Cargo at Time of Loss: None

Vessel Description & History

The Yantic was a screw Bark warship built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1864 during the American Civil War. Although there is an unverified claim that she was originally intended to be Abraham Lincoln’s personal yacht, she instead entered active service with the United States Navy. She was part of the Nipsic-class of naval vessels, a group of wooden-hulled gunboats designed for patrol and escort duties.

The Yantic served on both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, seeing action in the Civil War and later participating in fleet operations throughout the late 19th century. By 1898, she was considered obsolete and was loaned to the Michigan Naval Militia, marking the beginning of her service on the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Service & Mishaps

When the Navy decided to transfer the Yantic from the Atlantic to the Great Lakes, the journey was widely reported in newspapers due to a series of mishaps along the way. By the time she arrived in Detroit, she was described as a “shambles,” in poor condition from years of wear and exposure.

Despite her deteriorating state, she underwent a major refit in 1899 at the Detroit Shipbuilding Company, where she was re-engined for continued service as a training ship for the Michigan Naval Militia. Over the next two decades, she functioned as a stationary training vessel and a floating clubhouse for the militia, moored in Detroit for most of this period.

Final Years & Loss

By the early 1900s, the Yantic was deemed “overaged” and remained mostly inactive. In 1921, she was formally reclassified as IX-32, a designation for unclassified miscellaneous auxiliary ships. However, she saw little use and was permanently moored at the foot of Townsend Street in Detroit.

Over time, a large sandbar formed around her Hull, which became a notorious dumping ground. Locals sarcastically nicknamed it “Chickenbone Reef” due to the accumulation of garbage thrown from the ship over the years. Despite various local efforts to have her removed, she remained in place.

Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Yantic
  • Former Names: None
  • Official Number: Not applicable – U.S. Navy vessel
  • Date Built and Launched: Built 1864, launched March 19, 1864, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
  • Measurements:
    • Length: 54.9 metres (180 feet)
    • Beam: 9.1 metres (30 feet)
  • Type: Wooden gunboat, later naval militia training vessel
  • Final Disposition: Dismantled and buried in place, 1930

Vessel Type

Three-masted Bark-rigged wooden gunboat with auxiliary steam power, later re-rigged for freshwater use as a naval training ship.

Description

The Yantic was originally constructed as a gunboat during the American Civil War. Though initially intended to serve as President Abraham Lincoln’s yacht, the need for warships during the conflict saw her converted and launched as a naval gunboat. She was rigged as a three-masted Bark with a steam engine, a common configuration for transition-era naval vessels. Her 180-foot length and robust construction made her suitable for extended service both on oceanic assignments and, later, on the Great Lakes.

History

Commissioned on August 12, 1864, the Yantic was named for the Yantic River in Connecticut. She served actively during the closing months of the American Civil War and continued in fleet operations until 1897. That year, she was removed from active naval service and transferred to the State of Michigan for use as a training vessel for the naval militia. She was stationed in Detroit, and later Hancock, Michigan, after undergoing rigging and mechanical modifications suited for inland lake service.

Throughout the early 20th century, Yantic was involved in training and ceremonial duties. She participated in the 1913 centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie and was berthed at various points across the lakes, including Milwaukee, Chicago, and Cleveland. Recalled to navy service during World War I, she was later assigned to the Ohio Naval Reserve. After the war, she returned to state control and continued service until decommissioning in 1926.

On October 22, 1929, while moored at her dock during an autumn gale, Yantic’s deteriorating wooden Hull gave way, and she sank in only five minutes. In May 1930, a fire – likely deliberate – further destroyed the partially submerged hulk, which was ultimately dismantled and filled in as part of the Belle Isle Bridge approach in Detroit.

Final Disposition

Deliberately burned and dismantled in 1930 after sinking the previous year, the remnants of Yantic were buried in place beneath infrastructure near Belle Isle, Detroit. No known wreckage remains visible.

Located By & Date Found

  • Located By: Municipal and bridge engineering crews
  • Date Found/Removed: Burned May 9, 1930; remains buried later that year

NOTMARs & Advisories

  • Historical Advisory: No known obstructions or navigational hazards currently attributed to Yantic.
  • Modern Status: Site now integrated into Belle Isle Bridge foundation.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Yantic had a storied life spanning wartime action, naval training, and ceremonial functions over more than six decades. Her final years were characterized by deterioration and obscurity, culminating in her quiet burial beneath modern Detroit infrastructure. As one of the last wooden-hulled naval ships to serve actively on the Great Lakes, she remains a unique and compelling part of U.S. and Canadian maritime heritage.

Suggested Keywords, Categories, and Glossary Terms

  • Keywords: USS Yantic, Belle Isle shipwreck, Detroit maritime history, naval militia, wooden gunboat, Great Lakes naval training
  • Categories: Great Lakes Naval History, U.S. Navy Ships on the Great Lakes, Decommissioned Vessels, Maritime Monuments
  • Glossary Terms:
    • Bark: A sailing vessel with three or more masts, with square sails on the fore and main and fore-and-aft rig on the mizzen.
    • Gunboat: A small naval vessel armed for combat, typically used in coastal and riverine areas.
    • Naval Militia: A state-based naval reserve force organized similarly to the National Guard.

The final resting place of the USS Yantic lies beneath Gabriel Richard Park in Detroit, Michigan, adjacent to the Belle Isle Bridge (officially the Douglas MacArthur Bridge). After the vessel sank at her moorings on October 22, 1929, due to natural deterioration of her wooden Hull, her remains were burned and subsequently buried in a filled-in boat slip during the construction of the bridge approach in 1930. (City of Detroit, MAGIC MASTS AND STURDY SHIPS)

Today, there are no visible remnants of the Yantic at the site. However, her legacy endures through her anchor, which is prominently displayed in front of the R. Thornton Brodhead Naval Armory, located at 7600 East Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, MI 48214. (Wikipedia)

For those interested in visiting the location:

  • Gabriel Richard Park: Situated along the Detroit River, the park offers scenic views and walking paths. The approximate coordinates of the Yantic‘s burial site are 42.3455° N, 82.9714° W.
  • R. Thornton Brodhead Naval Armory: Located nearby, the armory houses the Yantic‘s anchor and serves as a historical landmark commemorating Detroit’s naval history.

While the Yantic herself is no longer visible, these sites provide a tangible connection to her storied past and the maritime heritage of the Great Lakes region.