Steamboat Anthony Wayne located! Believed to be the oldest steamboat sunk in Lake Erie. Found with side scan sonar in September, 2006. Recent dives confirm the identity of a side wheel passenger steamboat.

 

The Nineties are now complete! All forty 1990 - 1999 Inlands Seas journals.

              The Inland Seas Archival Collection, Nineties Edition is now available.

One of the Great Lakes most valuable sources of historical information from The Great Lakes Historical Society. Ships, schooners, barges and sailors of our past in fascinating stories of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario including shipwreck and survival. Keep up to date on the latest developments in Ohio's underwater preserve efforts on the Features Page. An all new Side Scan Sonar page has also been added detailing survey information and underwater discoveries. Follow the activities of the US Revenue Cutter ERIE as she executes her duties on Lake Erie from 1833 - 1846
 

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Shipwrecks

Side Scan Sonar map of western Lake Erie including wrecks. This map is provided as a service to everyone interested in shipwreck search and discovery. Information provided here is collected from individuals and groups but has not been verified for completeness or accuracy. If you would like to contribute information on areas that have been searched by side scan sonar, please email the boundary limits of the search areas and they will be added to the map. Images of side scan discoveries will also be posted. Send the images and a brief description including credits that will be added to the picture.

The following list of shipwrecks have been identified sunk in western Lake Erie. Those highlighted in RED have been removed. Those highlighted in BLUE have been found. Please help make this list as accurate as possible. Your contributions are welcome.

Rig Name Cargo Disaster Month Year Found Location
Sch Beaver pelts wreck May 1771   below Sandusky
?? ??   burned   1812   Kelleys Island by American troops
Sch Sylph whiskey wreck May 1824   N. Bass Island
Sch Liberty mdse foundered November 1829   off Pelee Island Lighthouse Pt.
Sch Maria Antoinette salt wreck November 1829   Islands in Lake Erie (got off)
Sch Erie   sunk November 1829   cut by ice , on rocks W. side of S Bass Island
Sch Macedonian fish wreck November 1829   East Sister Island
Sch Lafayette Packet   wreck August 1830   S. Bass Island
Sch Guerirre gen mdse wreck May 1832   Bar Point
Sch La Grange mdse foundered November 1835   7 mi. S.E. of Wheatley
Sch Rainbow gen mdse wreck August 1837   S. Bass Island
Str  Niagara passengers sunk July  1837   sunk by Str Pennsylvania near Huron, later removed
Sch Martin Kingman gen mdse wreck April 1838   near Bar Point
Str Kent passengers sunk August 1845   sunk 5 mi. below Pt. Pelee by Str. London
Sch Texas   wreck May 1845   at S. Bass Island (still 1852)
Sch Lexington gold & whiskey wreck November 1846   west of Huron
Sch Uncle Sam lumber wreck December 1847   E. side of Kelleys Island
Sch Essex   wreck September 1848   off N. Bass Island
Stb  Anthony Wayne passengers exploded April 1850 * 6 mi. E. of Vermilion. Boilers blew and she sank
Sch Robert Burma (Burns) gen mdse wreck November 1850   East Sister Island, (towed to Malden)
Sch Moses and Elias gen mdse wreck April 1851   off Middle Bass Island
Sch E. G. Merrick mdse wreck October 1851   near Vermilion
Scow Anawan   foundered December 1851   10 miles northeast of Huron
Sch St. Mary   wreck April 1852   off Pelee Island
Sch F. C. Clark   wreck November 1852   at Middle Island (this is probably Middle Island, Lake Huron)
Sch Meyers supplies wreck November 1852   off Cedar Point
Str St. Louis rolling frt wreck November 1852 * Kelleys Island Shoal
Str Wisconsin gen mdse sunk August 1853 * by Str. Brunswick 1 mi. E. of West Sister
Str America passengers wreck April 1854 * off Pelee Island E. side
Sch Florence   foundered December 1854   off Kelleys Island (raised)
Sch Francis unknown foundered December 1854   2 miles E of Harve
Sch Homen (Home)   wreck December 1854   off S. Bass Island
Sch H. R. Seymour wheat sunk November 1852   at Rattlesnake Island
Str Mayflower passengers burned November 1854   off Pt. Pelee
Bark C. A. Bemis coal sunk October 1854   sunk near Pt. Pelee by Bark Carolina
Sch Petrel coal foundered  October 1854   Bar Point
Sch Visitor gen mdse foundered May 1855   off West Sister
Sch Pearl gen mdse wreck November 1855   at East Sister Island (Cleveland)
Sch Andover mdse wreck April 1856   off Pt. Pelee
Sch Egyptian   foundered April 1856   E. of Pt. Pelee
Sch Cuyahoga mdse wreck July  1856   of Pt. Pelee
Str Northern Indiana passengers burned July  1856 * off Pt. Pelee
Sch Marengo coal foundered May 1856   off Middle Sister
Sch William Penn mdse wreck May 1856   off Pt. Pelee
Sch Mary (C) block stone foundered October 1856 * near Vermilion
Bark Empire lumber wreck May 1857   off Pt. Marblehead
Sch Coquette misc wreck August 1858   at S. Bass Island (raised)
Sch Fame gen mdse foundered August 1858   3 miles east of Monroe Piers
Sch New Brunswick logs foundered August 1858 * S.E. of Wheatley
Sch Traveler mdse burned May 1858   off Pt. Pelee
Bark Lemuel Crawford wheat wreck May  1858   East Sister Reef
Sch B. A. Standard (Standort)   foundered July  1859   off Port Alma (raised)
Sch Virginia Purdy   wreck June 1859   off Pt. Pelee
Sch Bay City lumber wreck November 1859   East Sister Reef
Sch C. L. Burton stone wreck September 1859   at Vermilion (Ashtabula)
Sch California mdse foundered   1859   off Niagara Reef
Sch Industry   wreck October 1860   at Little's Pt.
Sch Zodac Pratt   foundered October 1860 * hit the Mt. Vernon
Str Mount Vernon passengers exploded October 1860   beached and broke up at Pt. Pelee
Str Euphrates   wreck May 1862   off Sandusky Bar
Sch Monarch (of the Glen) misc foundered November 1862   off Sandusky Bar (raised)
Sch B. S. Shephard   wreck   1863   off Pt. Pelee
Sch Illinois coal sunk July  1865   near Vermilion
Str Illinois passengers sunk June 1865   sunk below Pt. Pelee by Str. Dean Richmond abandoned 1867
Sch Cornwall (C) railroad iron wreck   1865   off East Sister Island
Sch Fox   wreck August 1867 * North Harbor Island Reef
Tug Walter W. Brennan   burned June 1867   at Pt. Pelee
Str  Morning Star passengers sunk June 1868 * 21 mi. NNE of Vermilion by Bark Cortland
Brark Cortland iron ore sunk June 1868 * 21 mil NNE of Vermilion by Str. Morning Star
Sch E. K. Gilbert coal wreck November 1868   off Pt. Pelee
Sch Hyphen grindstones foundered June 1868   off Pelee Island (1868?)
Sch Contest   stranded September 1868   eastside of Pelee Island
Str. Forest Queen   sunk December 1868 * Pigeon Bay, Pt. Pelee
Sch Tartin (Tartar)   stranded December 1870   abandoned at Pt. Pelee
Sch Mary Ann stone wreck June 1870   off Marblehead 
Scow Adair barrels foundered May 1870   at the Dummy Light, Pt. Pelee
Sch Gem   wreck October 1870   ashore at Pigeon Bay near Union
Sch Advance coal foundered July  1871   off Green Island
Sch Erie coal foundered September 1872   at her anchors off Marblehead
Sch Willis barley sunk November 1872 * sunk by Sch Elizabeth Jones 15 mi. E. of Pelee Pt.
Sch Milder   wreck September 1872   at Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Sch H. G. Williams coal foundered   1872   off Cedar Point
Tug  B. W. Aldrich   burned May 1873   at Leamington Dock (Ludington)
Barges  Globe, Saginaw & David Morris foundered October 1873   W. side of Pelee Pt. 
Stmb J. D. Crow (C) stone stranded October 1873   went ashore near Leamington Dock
Str I. R. Crow stone foundered October 1873   off Leamington Dock
Sch Exchange stone wreck November 1874 * south side of Kelleys Island
Sch Thomas P. Sheldon wheat wreck October 1874   at Little's Pt. (raised)
Sch Isaac W. Nichols ore sunk October 1875   10 mi. below Leamington
Sch     stranded December 1876   stranded abreast East Harbor and broke up
Barge Young Hickory wood wreck November 1877   off Leamington
Str Tioga mdse burned October 1877 * off Cedar Creek
Barge C. P. Williams lumber wreck October 1877   3 mi. N. of Pt. Pelee (raised)
Sch Eagle Wing unknown wreck April 1878   off Bar Point
Sch Gould stone wreck August 1878   off Cedar Point
Sch Isabella   wreck November 1878   S. Bass Island
Str Lake Breeze (C) passengers burned October 1878   at Leamington Dock
Sch C. G. Breed   wreck November 1879   in Pelee Passage
Sch Q. A. Gilmore coal wreck June 1881   at Gull Island Shoal
Sch Charles K. Nims corn foundered  October  1881   off Bar Point
Sch Gallatin   foundered April 1882   off Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Sch Colchester Lightship   foundered November 1882   at Colchester Reef - south
Sch Canada (C)   wreck October 1882   Grecian Shoal
Sch B. Everleigh   wreck May 1883   off Pt. Pelee
Sch L B. Crocker stone stranded September 1884   Carpenters Pt. Kelleys Island
Tug Relief   burned June 1884 * Beached on Carpenters Pt. Kelleys Island
Tug Noah P. Sprague   exploded July  1884   at Pt. Pelee when boiler blew up
Scow Bertie Crowell stone wreck October 1884   off stone dock at Marblehead
Sch King Sisters wheat wreck October 1884   Gull Island Shoal (Mohawk reef)
Sch New Dominion (C) coal foundered October 1884   off Smith's dock at Port Alma
Sch Walter Oades   sunk August 1885   sunk by Sch. H. Halloran at S.E. Shoal 
Barge Vanetta lumber wreck April 1886   Pt. Pelee  
Sch St. Joseph ballast wreck October 1886   Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Sch Star of Hope   stranded October 1886   off Kelleys Island and broke up
Sch W. R. Hanna stone foundered October 1886 * pounded to pieces at Kelleys Island
Tug  Patrick Henry   foundered August 1887   off Vermilion (towed into Vermilion)
Sch George Worthington light collision July 1887   SE of Colchester
Sch Fly   wreck November 1887   Pt. Pelee at Dummy Light
Sch James A. Garfield stone foundered October 1887   east of Pt. Pelee
Tug Orient   foundered October 1887   at Grubbs Reef
Barge John Tibbetts coal wreck July  1888   off Cedar Creek
Barge  Bay Trader timber wreck July  1888   off Cedar Creek
Sch C. H. Plummer none burned November 1888 * south side of Kelleys Island
Barge Banner light foundered November 1888   Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Str Handy Boy lime burned September 1888   at Huron
Tug Fannie Davell   sunk July  1889   2 mi. West of Pelee Island at Pt. Sheridan
Str Glasgow gen mdse sunk October 1889   at Pelee Pt.
Sch Wend the Wave lumber collision October 1889 * Pt, Pelee
Sch Magnetic none foundered April 1890   off Bar Point
Sch C. S. Reynolds coal/mdse burned November 1890   at Colchester Reef
Sch Hoboken   stranded November 1890   broke up at Pt. Pelee
Barge  T. H. Orton   foundered July  1891   8 mi. E. of Middle Island
Sch Fayette Brown stone collision July 1891   Collision w/Northern Steamship co. boat
Sch Persia   foundered September 1891   off Pt. Pelee
Sch General Burnside gen mdse wreck July  1892   S.E. of S.E. Shoal
Sch Minnie Davis lumber foundered November 1892   off Bar Point
Tug James Amadeus   foundered November 1892   at Pt. Pelee
Str Roland stone foundered October 1892   off Green Island (raised)
Tug Hercules   burned October 1892   off Pt. Pelee
Dredge Dominion   foundered October 1892 * Pt. Pelee
Sch David Vance   sunk July  1893 * sunk in collision with Lizzie A. Law
Sch Lizzie A. Law   sunk July  1893   sunk by collision with David Vance at the Dummy Light, Pelee Pt.
Tug Jordon Beere Jr   burned November 1893   Put-in-Bay dock
Sch David Stewart   foundered October 1893   off Leamington 
Str Byron Trerice (C) mdse burned September 1893   Leamington Dock
Sch H. D. Root   foundered April 1894   off S. Bass Island
Tug Edith   burned April 1894   off Mouse Island
Tug Mary & Norman   burned November 1894   off Vermilion
Sch Col Cook stone stranded September 1894 * Lorain
Sch George W. Adams ore sunk December 1895   off Colchester Reef, cut by ice. In tow of Str. Caledonia
Sch Julia Willard stone foundered December 1895 * off West Sister Light
Tug  Roy    sunk December 1895   cut by ice 1½ miles S.E. of Stony Pt.
Str Grand Traverse   sunk October 1896 * by Str. Wm Livingston 1 mi. NxW Colchester Reef
Tug Harry Cottrell   foundered September 1896   off Big Creek
Sch J.R. Benson coal foundered June 1899   Sandusky channel entrance
Str Point Abino machinery wreck December 1899   near Ballast Island
Tug  R. K. Hawley   foundered December 1899   1 mi. ENE from Huron Piers
Tug Red Cloud   wreck September 1899   struck Cedar Point Jetty
Str  Specular coal sunk August 1900 * 3 mi. S. E. of Middle Ground by Str. Denver
Yacht Roberta   burned July  1900   south side of West Sister
Tug  Edna Goodill   foundered March 1900   off Vermilion piers
Sch Chicago Board of Trade iron ore wreck November 1900   Niagara Reef
Sch Maumee Valley lumber foundered November 1900   6 mi. ExN of Middle Island
Barge Magnet coal foundered September 1900 * 1½ mi. N. of Middle Sister
Sch M. P. Barkalow   foundered April 1902   off S. Bass Island - raised and removed by US Army Corp of Engineer dredge
Str  George Dunbar coal foundered June 1902 * 4 mi. ENE off Kelleys Island
Sch Amaretta Mosher coal stranded November 1902 * on Starve Island reef
Sch General Franz Sigel coal foundered  July  1903   1¾ mile s.e. of Stony Pt.
Sch John Mark stone wreck October 1903   southeast of Kelleys Island - removed
Str  Adventure lime burned October 1903 * North Bay, Kelleys Island
Tug Cascade   sunk January 1904 * near Lorain
Str  Philip Minch none burned November 1904 * 8½ mi. East of Middle Island
Tug Ida   foundered   1904   off Ottawa City
Tug  M. Grace   collision June 1905   off Middle Bass Island
Barge Tasmania coal foundered October 1905 * 2 mi. S.E. of Southeast Shoal
Str Charles A. Packard lumber foundered September 1905 * at Grubbs Reef
Sch May Richards coal foundered August 1906   N. side of N. Bass Island
Str Lucille none foundered August 1906   1 mile East of Turtle Island light
Scow Algora light foundered May 1906   6 miles east of Pelee Pt. Lightship
Sch William Case lumber foundered July  1906 * 5 mi. N.E. of Colchester Reef
Sch Armenia coal foundered May 1906 * 3½ mi. NW of Middle Ground
Sch W. I. Wilcox coal foundered May 1906 * 2000 feet WxS of Colchester Dock
Str Conemaugh mdse wreck November 1906 * 2 mi. E. of the Dummy Light, Pt. Pelee
Sch Constitution stone sunk September 1906   near West Dock, Kelleys Island - pulled up behind the pier to clear dock for other vessels
Sch Nagaunee coal foundered September 1906   3 mi. E. of Pelee Island
Sch William Crosthwaite lumber collision September 1906   1½ mi. N. of East Harbor by Homer Warren - cleared, remains washed ashore at East Harbor in the 30s
Str City of Concord ore foundered September 1906 * 3 mi. E. of Pelee Island
Dredge Dredge #2 machinery foundered December 1907 * 2 mi. N. of Cedar Pt. Jetty
Sch George C. Haughton coal wreck September 1907   off Bar Point
Str Iron Age coal burned June 1908   3 mi. SxW of Colchester 
Str F. A. Meyer lumber foundered December 1909 * 10 mi. E. of S.E. Shoal
Str  Clarion grain burned December 1909 * sunk in ice E. of S.E. Shoal
Barge Spademan coal foundered December 1909 * cut by ice, South Bass Island
Str George Stone coal wreck October 1909 * off Grubbs Reef
Sch Grace Whitney lumber  sunk July  1910   at Bar Pt. By Str. Ogdensburg
Tug  H. F. Bues   foundered July  1910   off Middle Ground Shoal
Sch Keepsake none wreck August 1911   Gull Island Shoal
Str F. H. Prince none burned August 1911 * E. side of Kelleys Island
Tug  Charles A. Triner   burned April 1912   at Vermilion
Sch Newell Hubbard sand foundered September 1912   off Bar Point
Tug Charles Gale   burned August 1913   Pelee Island, North Dock
Str City of London grain sunk September 1913   between Middle Ground and Dummy Light by Str Joseph S. Morrow
Str Canisteo   abandoned June 1914   south of East Sister Island?
Tug  Don Mar   foundered November 1914   5 mi S.E. of Brest
Dredge Dredge Frazier machinery burned September 1914   Pelee Island ¾ mi NE of North Dock
Tug Grace M.   foundered June 1915   6 mi. E. of Middle Island
Str Isabella J. Boyce none burned June 1916 * East Point of Middle Bass Island
Str Marshall F. Butters lumber foundered October 1916 * 3 mi. E. of S.E. Shoal
Sch D. L. Filer lumber foundered October 1916   3 mi. south of Big Creek
Str Case coal burned May 1917 * southwest side of East Sister
Barge Commodore coal foundered June 1918   3½ mi. N.E. of S.E. Shoal in tow of Str. Jay Gould
Str Jay Gould coal foundered June 1918 * 3½ mi. N.E. of S.E. Shoal
Barge John F. Eddy coal foundered November 1920 * 5½ mi n. of West Sister
Barge John J. Barlum coal foundered September 1922 * 1½ NNEof Marblehead Light
Dredge Toledo   foundered November 1924 * 1 mi.WNW of Rattlesnake Island
Tug Custodian   burned June 1925 * East end of West Sister
Barge Harsen (C) wood foundered September 1926   5½ mi. NW of Pelee Island
Tug Mack Jean   burned August 1927   off Kingsville
Tug J.J. Carroll fish burned November 1929 * off Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Str N. J. Nesson scrap wreck October 1929   off Olinda -remain pulled from water when Leamington marina was put in
Tug Maumee   burned March 1931   at Monroe Piers
Barge Argo oil foundered October 1937   E. of Middle Island in tow of tug Sygsset
Tug Dorothy May (C)   foundered October 1941   15 mi. off Port Alma
Str Alva Chisholm light burned   1941   upper bay Sandusky
Scow Derrick Scow machinery sunk   1942   off Colchester Reef 
Brig Success   grounded July

1946

   east of Port Clinton
Tug JorgeB   foundered       Pt. Pelee
Sch Dunbar (C) coal wreck August 18_1   wreckage came ashore at Pt. Pelee

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