Julia Palmer
Sidewheel Steamer · United States · Lost Deliberately sunk in 1848 to serve as a dock, following a severe 1847 storm survived earlier in her career. · Whitefish Point & Eastern Lake Superior
An 1836-built steamer that fought a sixteen-day Lake Superior gale, burning her own furniture for fuel, before later being deliberately sunk as a dock.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Julia Palmer entered service in 1836 as a three-masted sailing ship before being rebuilt as a sidewheel steamer. In 1846 she survived a legendary sixteen-day storm on Lake Superior, her crew burning furniture and cargo to keep steam up until reaching Copper Harbor. In 1848, worn out, she was filled with stone and deliberately sunk to form a dock near Whitefish Point. The site now lies in shallow water within the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve.
Vessel
- 1836
- Not established
- Buffalo, New York
- Wood
- 107 ft
- Not established
- 260
- Steam, low-pressure engine, single wheel
- Not established
Loss
- Deliberately sunk in 1848 to serve as a dock, following a severe 1847 storm survived earlier in her career.
- Intentional sinking
- Whitefish Point area, Lake Superior
- Lake Superior
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- 0
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 10 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Within Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve
Position
- 46.45° N 84.82° W
- Approximate position
- Bay Mills, Michigan
Evidence
Overall confidence: Partially documented (60/100)
Some secondary sources describe her celebrated 1847 storm survival with unverified embellishment; core facts of build, conversion, and deliberate sinking are better supported.
Maritime History of the Great Lakes, Cleveland Daily Herald account, 1847
1846 storm ordeal and general service description.
