Sch. Lake Serpent located! Oldest shipwreck in Lake Erie.

Tank barge Argo discovered! Mystery of sinking solved as the barge lies upright and intact on the lake bottom.

Steamboat Anthony Wayne located! Believed to be the oldest steamboat sunk in Lake Erie.

 

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.

Sch Beaver pelts sunk 15 1771 * below Sandusky
?? ?? burned 1812 British vessel burned by American troops at Cunningham's Island
Sch Sylph whiskey wreck May 18 1824 * N. Bass Island
Sch Erie sunk November 1829 * cut by ice , on rocks W. side of S Bass Island (still enrolled 1836 Oswego)
Sch Lake Serpent stone wreck October 1829 * near the Islands in Lake Erie
Sch Liberty mdse foundered November 23 1829 * off Pelee Island Lighthouse Pt.
Sch Macedonian wreck November 22 1829 * East Sister Island
Sch Maria Antoinette salt wreck November 25 1829 * Islands in Lake Erie (got off)
Sch Lafayette Packet wreck August 7 1830 * S. Bass Island
Sch Guerirre gen mdse wreck May 29 1832 * Bar Point
Sch La Grange mdse foundered November 17 1835 * 7 mi. S.E. of Wheatley
Str  Niagara passengers sunk July  7 1837 * sunk by Str Pennsylvania near Huron, later removed - towed out into the lake and sunk
Sch Rainbow gen mdse wreck August 21 1837 * S. Bass Island (enrollments continue)
Sch Martin Kingman gen mdse capsized June 27 1838 * near Bar Point (enrollments continue)
Str Kent passengers sunk August 11 1845 * sunk 5 mi. below T. Pelee by Str. London
Sch Texas wreck June 9 1845 * at S. Bass Island (still enrolled 1852)
Sch Lexington gold & whisk wreck November 19 1846 * west of Huron
Sch Uncle Sam lumber wreck December 19 1847 * E. side of Kelleys Island
Sch Essex salt wreck September 28 1848 * off N. Bass Island (raised?)
Str  Anthony Wayne passengers exploded April 28 1850 * 6 mi. E. of Vermilion. Boilers blew and she sank
Sch Robert Burma (Burns) gen mdse wreck November 30 1850 * East Sister Island (towed to Malden)
Sch Sea Bird stone sunk July  7 1850 * 6 to 8 mi. off the mouth of the Black River.
Scow Anawan stone foundered December 20 1851 * 10 miles north east of Huron (1852 capsized on Lake Erie off Painesville. HGL vol1)
Sch E. G. Merrick mdse wreck October 21 1851 * near Vermilion (on the beach? Wreckage found there in 1995 per Herdendorf)
Sch Moses and Elias gen mdse wreck April 7 1851 * off Middle Bass Island
Sch F. C. Clark wreck November 1852 * at Middle Island (this is probably Middle Island, Lake Huron)
Sch Meyers supplies wreck November 10 1852 * off Cedar Point (bark Myers, of Cleveland, lost during a storm. 1852 HGL vol 1)
Str St. Louis rolling frt wreck November 7 1852 * Kelleys Island Shoal
Sch St. Mary wreck April 1852 * off Pelee Island (enrollment July, 1852)
Str Wisconsin gen mdse sunk August 24 1853 * by Str. Brunswick 1 mi. E. of West Sister
Str America passengers wreck April 5 1854 * off Pelee Island E. side
Bark C. A. Bemis coal collision September 30 1854 * sunk near Pt. Pelee by Bark Carolina
Sch Florence foundered December 5 1854 * off Kelleys Island (most likely raised, still enrolled 1855)
Sch Francis unknown foundered December 1854 2 miles E of Harve (bark France ashore near Goderich, 1854 HGL vol 1) still in service per Labadie
Sch H. R. Seymour wheat sunk November 9 1854 * at Rattlesnake Island
Sch Homen (Home) wreck December 1854 off S. Bass Island (Erie harbor, 1854 HGL vol 1)
Str Mayflower passengers burned November 28 1854 * off Pt. Pelee
Sch Petrel coal foundered  October 28 1854 * Bar Point
Sch Pearl gen mdse wreck November 21 1855 * at East Sister Island reef
Sch Visitor gen mdse foundered May 16 1855 * off West Sister
Sch Andover mdse wreck May 10 1856 * off Pt. Pelee/ Hen and Chicks (raised?)
Sch Cuyahoga mdse capsized July  29 1856 * of Pt. Pelee (recovered from capsizing?)
Sch Egyptian foundered November 3 1856 * E. of Pt. Pelee, Labadie says raised
Sch Marengo coal foundered May 20 1856 * off Middle Sister
Str Northern Indiana passengers burned July  17 1856 * off Pt. Pelee
Sch William Penn mdse wreck May 21 1856 * off Pt. Pelee (got off)
Bark Empire unknown wreck May 5 1857 * off Pt. Marblehead
Sch Coquette misc wreck October 7 1858 * at S. Bass Island (raised?)
Sch Fame gen mdse foundered August 16 1858 3 miles east of Monroe Piers
Bark Lemuel Crawford wheat wreck May  14 1858 * East Sister Reef
Sch New Brunswick logs foundered August 26 1858 * S.E. of Wheatley
Sch Traveler mdse burned May 19 1858 * off Pt. Pelee
Sch B. A. Standort foundered July  2 1859 * off Port Alma (raised)
Brig Bay City corn wreck November 16 1859 * East Sister Reef
Sch C. L. Burton stone wreck September 21 1859 * at Vermilion (Astabula)
Sch California mdse foundered May 6 1859 * off Niagara Reef
Sch Virginia Purdy lime wreck April 21 1859 * off Pt. Pelee (island)
Sch Industry wreck October 1860 * at Little's Pt.
Str Mount Vernon passengers exploded October 10 1860 * beached and broke up at Pt. Pelee
Sch Zodac Pratt foundered November 16 1860 hit the Mt. Vernon
Str Euphrates wreck May 23 1862 * off Sandusky Bar
Sch Monarch (of the Glen) misc foundered November 9 1862 * off Sandusky Bar
Sch B. S. Shepard oats wreck November 20 1863 ashore off Pt. Pelee
Sch Cornwall corn wreck November 2 1865 * off East Sister Island
Sch Illinois coal sunk June 30 1865 * near Vermilion
Str Illinois passengers sunk June 28 1865 * sunk below Pt. Pelee by Str. Dean Richmond abandoned 1867
Sch Fox wreck October 16 1867 * North Harbor Island Reef
Tug Walter W. Brennan burned June 1867 at Pt. Pelee (Tug Waters W. Brayman burned at Point Pelee; a total loss 1867 HGL vol 1)
Sch Contest stranded September 29 1868 * eastside of Pelee island
Bark Cortland iron ore collision June 30 1868 * 21 mi. NNE of Vermilion by Stb Morning Star
Sch E. K. Gilbert coal wreck November 24 1868 * off Pt. Pelee
Sch Hyphen grindstones foundered September 23 1868 * off Pelee Island, 3 mi. north
Str  Morning Star passengers sunk June 30 1868 * 21 mi. NNE of Vermilion by Bark Cortland
Scow Adair (Addain) barrels foundered May 27 1870 * at the Dummy Light, Pt. Pelee (Chickanolee reef, recovered and lost Lake Michigan)
Sch Gem wreck October 7 1870 * ashore at Pidgeon Bay near Union
Sch Mary Ann stone wreck July  1 1870 * off Marblehead 
Sch Tartin (Tartar) stranded November 30 1870 * abandoned at Pt. Pelee
Sch Advance coal foundered July  10 1871 * off Green Island
Sch Erie (Louis McLane)  stone foundered August 30 1872 * at anchor off Marblehead
Sch H. G. Williams coal foundered August 15 1872 * off Cedar Point
Sch Milder (Wilder) stone wreck September 29 1872 * at Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Sch Willis barley sunk November 11 1872 * sunk by Sch Elizabeth Jones 15 mi. E. of Pelee Pt.
Tug  B. W. Aldrich burned May 16 1873 * at Leamington Dock (this should be Ludington)
Barges  Globe, Saginaw & David Morris foundered October 21 1873 * W. side of Pelee Pt. 
Str I. R. Crow stone foundered October 1873 off Leamington Dock - these two are the same boat
Stmb J. D. Crow (C) stone stranded October 20 1873 * went ashore near Leamington Dock
Sch Exchange stone wreck November 20 1874 * south side of Kelleys Island
Sch Thomas P. Sheldon wheat wreck October 29 1874 * at Little's Pt. (raised)
Sch Isaac W. Nichols ore sunk October 20 1875 * 10 mi. below Leamington
Sch stranded December 1876 stranded abrest East Harbor and broke up
Barge C.P. Williams lumber wreck October 8 1877 * 3 mi. N. of Pt. Pelee (raised)
Str Tioga mdse burned October 5 1877 * off Cedar Creek
Barge Young Hickory wood wreck November 1 1877 * off Leamington
Sch Eagle Wing unknown wreck April 1878 off Bar Point
Sch Gould stone wreck August 1878 off Cedar Point
Sch Isabella wreck November 2 1878 * S. Bass Island
Str Lake Breeze (C) passengers burned November 26 1878 * at Leamington Dock
Sch C. G. Breed wreck November 14 1879 * in Pelee Passage (80 miles east)
Sch Charles K. Nims corn foundered  September 12 1881 * off Bar Point
Sch Q. A. Gilmore coal wreck June 13 1881 * at Gull Island Shoal
Sch Canada (C) wreck November 8 1882 * Grecian Shoal
Sch Colchester Lightship foundered November 15 1882 * at Colchester Reef - south
Sch Gallatin pig iron foundered April 23 1882 * off Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Sch B. Everleigh wreck May 5 1883 * off Pt. Pelee
Scow Bertie Crowell stone wreck October 8 1884 * off stone dock at Marblehead 
Sch King Sisters wheat wreck October 19 1884 * Gull Island reef (Mohawk reef)
Brg L. B. Crocker stone stranded April 19 1884 * Carpenters Pt. Kelleys Island - raised
Sch New Dominion (C) coal foundered October 28 1884 * off Smith's dock at Port Alma (8 miles off Gulf Island, Port Colborne)
Tug Noah P. Sprague exploded July  22 1884 * at Pt. Pelee when boiler blew up
Tug Relief burned July  18 1884 * Beached on Carpenters Pt. Kelleys Island
Sch St. Joseph ballast wreck October 14 1886 * Fish Pt. Pelee Island
Sch Star of Hope stranded October 1886 off Kelleys Island and broke up
Barge Vanetta lumber wreck April 2 1886 * Pt. Pelee  
Sch W. R. Hanna stone foundered October 15 1886 * pounded to pieces at Kelleys Island
Sch Fly wreck November 1887 Pt. Pelee at Dummy Light
Sch George Worthington foundered July  22 1887 * SE of Colchester
Sch James A. Garfield stone foundered October 29 1887 * East of Pt. Pelee
Tug Orient foundered October 4 1887 * at Grubbs Reef
Tug  Patrick Henry foundered August 11 1887 * off Vermilion
Barge Banner none foundered November 8 1888 * Fish Pt. Pelee Island - actually Point AuSable (Fish Pt.) Oscoda, Mi.
Barge  Bay Trader timber wreck July  1888 off Cedar Creek
Sch C. H. Plummer none burned November 21 1888 * south side of Kelleys Island
Str Handy Boy lime burned September 4 1888 * at Huron (towed out east of the piers and sunk)
Barge John Tibbetts coal wreck July  11 1888 * off Cedar Creek
Sch Walter Oades sunk August 20 1888 sunk by Sch. H. Halloran at S.E. Shoal 
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 6 1889 * Pt. Pelee
Sch C. S. Reynolds coal/mdse burned November 5 1890 at Colchester Reef
Sch Hoboken stranded November 1890 broke up at Pt. Pelee
Sch Magnetic none foundered April 1890 off Bar Point
Sch Fayette Brown stone collision July  1891 Collision w/Northern Steamship Co. boat.
Sch Persia foundered September 1891 off Pt. Pelee (Point Peter, Lake Ontario)
Barge  T. H. Orton foundered July  1891 8 mi. E. of Middle Island
Dredge Dominion foundered October 1892 Pt. Pelee
Sch General Burnside coal wreck July  16 1892 S.E. of S.E. Shoal, (near Cleveland)
Tug Hercules burned October 1892 off Pt. Pelee
Tug James Amadeus foundered November 3 1892 at Pt. Pelee
Sch Minnie Davis lumber foundered November 14 1892 off Bar Point
Str Roland stone foundered October 1892 off Green Island (raised and removed 1893)
Str Byron Trerice (C) mdse burned September 13 1893 Leamington Dock
Sch David Stewart foundered October 1893 off Leamington 
Sch David Vance sunk July  1893 sunk in collision with Lizzie A. Law
Tug Jordon Beere, Jr. burned November 1893 Put-in-Bay dock
Sch Lizzie A. Law sunk July  1893 sunk by collision with David Vance at the Dummy Light, Pelee Pt.
Sch Col Cook stone stranded September 24 1894 Lorain
Tug Edith burned April 1894 off Mouse Island
Sch H. D. Root foundered April 3 1894 off S. Bass Island
Tug Mary & Norman burned November 6 1894 off Vermilion
Sch George W. Adams ore sunk December 12 1895 off Colchester Reef, cut by ice. In tow of Str. Caledonia
Sch Julia Willard foundered December 1895 off West Sister Light (east of Middle Island)
Tug  Roy  sunk December 16 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 20 1899 * Sandusky channel entrance
Str Point Abino machinery wreck December 1899 near Ballast Island
Tug  R. K. Hawley foundered December 14 1899 * 1 mi. ENE from Huron Piers
Tug Red Cloud wreck September 4 1899 struck Cedar Point Jetty
Sch Chicage Board of Trade coal wreck November 19 1900 Niagara Reef
Tug  Edna Goodill foundered March 1900 off Vermilion piers
Barge Magnet coal foundered September 1900 1½ mi. N. of Middle Sister
Sch Maumee Valley lumber foundered November 26 1900 6 mi. ExN of Middle Island
Yacht Roberta burned July  27 1900 south side of West Sister
Str  Specular coal sunk August 22 1900 3 mi. S. E. of Middle Ground by Str. Denver
Sch Amaretta Mosher coal stranded November 1902 on Starve Island reef
Str  George Dunbar coal foundered June 29 1902 4 mi. ENE off Kelleys Island
Sch M. P. Barkalow foundered April 26 1902 off S. Bass Island - raised and removed by US Army Corp of Engineer dredge
Str  Adventure lime burned October 1903 North Bay, Kelleys Island
Sch Genreral Franz Sigel coal foundered  July  18 1903 1¾ mile s.e. of Stony Pt.
Sch John Mark stone wreck October 1903 southeast of Kelleys Island - removed
Tug Cascade sunk January 24 1904 near Lorain Sch
Tug Ida foundered 1904 off Ottawa City
Str  Philip Minch none burned November 1904 8½ mi. East of Middle Island
Str Charles A. Packard lumber foundered September 1905 at Grubbs Reef
Tug  Grace M collision June 7 1905 east of Middle Island
Barge Tasmania coal foundered October 1905 2 mi. S.E. of Southeast Shoal
Scow Algora light foundered May 8 1906 6 mi east of Pelee Pt. Lightship
Sch Armenia coal foundered May 6 1906 3½ mi. NW of Middle Ground
Str City of Concord ore foundered September 1906 3 mi. E. of Pelee Island
Str Conemaugh mdse wreck November 22 1906 2 mi. E. of the Dummy Light, Pt. Pelee
Sch Constitution stone sunk September 20 1906 near West Dock, Kelleys Island - pulled up behind the pier to clear dock for other vessels
Str Lucille none foundered August 1906 1 mile East of Turtle Island light
Sch May Richards coal foundered August 1906 N. side of N. Bass Island
Sch Negaunee ore foundered September 1906 3 mi. E. ol Pelee Island (on the beach at Cedar Point)
Sch W. I. Wilcox coal foundered May 1906 2000 feet WxS of Colchester Dock
Sch William Case coal foundered July  22 1906 5 mi. N.E. of Colchester Reef
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
Dredge Detroit #2 machinery foundered December 13 1907 2 mi. N. of Cedar Pt. Jetty
Sch George C. Haughton coal wreck September 1907 off Bar Point (towed to the beach)
Str Iron Age coal burned June 1908 3 mi. SxW of Colchester (blown up)
Str  Clarion grain burned December 8 1909 sunk in ice E. of S.E. Shoal
Str F.A. Meyer lumber foundered December 1909 10 mi. E. of S.E. Shoal
Str George Stone coal wreck October 1909 off Grubbs Reef
Barge Spademan coal foundered December 1909 cut by ice ½ miles s.e. of ferry dock
Sch Grace Whitney lumber  sunk July  1910 at Bar Pt. By Str. Ogdensburg
Tug  H. F. Bues foundered July  1910 off Middle Ground Shoal
Str F. H. Prince none burned August 1911 E. side of Kelleys Island
Sch Keepsake none wreck August 1911 Gull Island Shoal
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 collision September 30 1913 between Middle Ground and Dummy Light by Str Joseph S. Morrow
Str Canisteo sunk June 6 1914 south side of East Sister Island (near Fish Pt. Pelee Island, raised)
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
Sch D. L. Filer lumber foundered October  20 1916 3 mi south of Big Creek
Str Marshall F. Butters lumber foundered October 20 1916 3 mi. E. of S.E. Shoal
Str Case coal burned May 1 1917 North side of Middle Sister
Str Isabella J. Boyce none burned June 6 1917 East Point of Middle Bass Island
Barge Commodore coal foundered June 19 1918 3½ mi. N.E. of S.E. Shoal in tow of Str. Jay Gould
Str Jay Gould coal foundered June 19 1918 3½ mi. N.E. of S.E. Shoal
Barge John F. Eddy coal foundered November 13 1920 5½ mi n. of West Sister
Barge John J. Barlum coal foundered September 18 1922 1½ NNE of Marblehead Light
Dredge Toledo foundered November 19 1924 1 mi.WNW of Rattlesnake Island
Tug Custodian burned June 23 1925 East end of East Sister (this should be 4 miles east 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
Cutter CG229 sunk December 1930 West Sister
Cutter CG8010 sunk May 9 1930 broke in two and sunk, near Maumee Bay, 3 mi north of Toledo light
Tug Maumee burned March 1931 at Monroe Piers
Barge Argo oil foundered October 22 1937 E. of Middle Island in tow of tug Sygsset
Str Alva Chisholm light burned 1941 towed to upper bay for dock but burned off shore before being placed
Tug Dorothy May (C) foundered October 1941 15 mi. off Port Alma
Scow Derrick Scow machinery sunk 1942 off Colchester Reef 
Brig Success grounded July  1946 east of Port Clinton
Sch Dunbar (C) coal wreck August 18_1 wreckage came ashore at Pt. Pelee
Rig Name Cargo Disaster Month Day Year Location
Tug Jorge B foundered Pt. Pelee
* = Enrollments found for this vessel
Blue = Dove on this shipwreck
Green = vessel reported found
Orange = Reported or suspected removed (unverified)
Red = vessel removed or recovered

 


Last modified: March 29, 2020  

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