AH-WR-1843

Charlotte

Tug · Lost Keller places dragging to the final resting place in 1943; removal from federal vessel listings in 1944 is an administrative abandonment entry, not a verified sinking date. · Apostle Islands & Western Lake Superior

A wooden tug built at Erie in 1912 ended her working career near Bayfield; archaeological records describe broken shallow-water remains.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Charlotte was built at Erie in 1912 as a wooden tow tug, later used for fishing and general work. Her owners included Bayfield Fish Company, George Fulton and Northern Hardwood Veneers. The service account records gasoline conversion in 1941 and diesel conversion in 1943. Keller places her dragging to a resting place near Port Superior in 1943; federal listings recorded abandonment in 1944. An archaeological inventory describes broken remains, while a gallery caption refers to later removal without explaining its extent.

Vessel

Built: 1912
Registry: US registry no. 209920
Builder: Not established
Yard: Erie, Pennsylvania
Material: Wood
Length: 62 ft
Beam: 17.6 ft
Tonnage: 43 gross tons
Propulsion: Diesel screw in final documented configuration; previously gasoline-powered
Owners: Valley Sand Company; Ora Endress; Bayfield Fish Company; George Fulton and Fulton Construction Company; Northern Hardwood Veneers

Loss

Date: Keller places dragging to the final resting place in 1943; removal from federal vessel listings in 1944 is an administrative abandonment entry, not a verified sinking date.
Cause: Not established
Location: Shallow water south of Port Superior marina, Pikes Bay, near Bayfield, Wisconsin
Water: Lake Superior
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: 3–6 feet in the quoted archaeological inventory; present depth not established.
Condition: Historical inventory describes badly broken, largely sand-covered remains with flattened hull, disarticulated sides and no machinery. Gallery caption refers to later removal without its date or extent.
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Bayfield, Wisconsin
Region: Apostle Islands & Western Lake Superior

Pikes Bay/Port Superior locality fits existing region. Inventory coordinates not independently surveyed and omitted; gallery removal reference prevents asserting current position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (79/100)

The exact loss date, casualty count, removal history and present location and condition are not established.

Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Sea Grant — Wisconsin Shipwrecks: Charlotte
Full construction, service, final account, Today section and gallery captions: registry 209920; Erie 1912; wooden tug 62 x 17.6 ft, 43 gross tons; towing/fishing/work service, gasoline and diesel conversions; Keller 1943 dragging versus 1944 administrative abandonment; historical archaeological 3–6 ft inventory with fragmented remains/no machinery; gallery references removal with no date or extent. Zero counters ignored.