AH-WR-0507

American Union

Schooner · United States · Lost 1894 · Thunder Bay & Lake Huron

One of the largest sailing ships on the Great Lakes when launched in 1862, wrecked in a storm near Presque Isle in 1894.

Captain of Record

John Edward Keenan

AHR-1958

See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

American Union was a three-masted wooden schooner launched in 1862 that was, at the time, one of the largest sailing vessels working the Great Lakes. On May 6, 1894, she ran aground in a storm near Presque Isle, Michigan, and was lost. Her wreck lies in shallow water within the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Vessel

Built: 1862
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Sail
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: May 6, 1894
Cause: Storm
Location: Near Presque Isle, Michigan, Lake Huron
Water: Lake Huron
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 10 ft
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Position

Coordinates: 45.357° N 83.590° W
Accuracy: Surveyed position
Nearest: Presque Isle, Michigan
Region: Thunder Bay & Lake Huron

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (65/100)

Cargo, casualties, and vessel dimensions are not established in the sources reviewed.

NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Build year, loss date, cause, and general description.
Wikipedia, List of shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Depth and coordinates.