SS America
Package Freighter · United States · Lost 1928 · Isle Royale & Lake Superior
A package freighter that struck a reef entering Washington Harbor in 1928, sinking so gently that most of her cargo and crew's belongings were saved.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
SS America was a steel-hulled package freighter built in 1898 for the Great Lakes passenger and freight trade, later serving Isle Royale communities for the Booth Fisheries Company. On June 7, 1928, she struck a reef entering Washington Harbor at Isle Royale and sank. One life was lost. The wreck now lies on a steep slope from near the surface to deep water and is one of the park's most-dived sites.
Vessel
- 1898
- US 107367
- Detroit Dry Dock Company
- Detroit, Michigan
- Steel
- 182.6 ft
- 31 ft
- 681
- Triple expansion steam engine, single screw
- Booth Fisheries Company
Loss
- June 7, 1928
- Grounding
- North Gap, Washington Harbor, Isle Royale, Michigan
- Lake Superior
- Grand Marais, Minnesota → Isle Royale, Michigan
- Not established
- Not established
- 1
- Edward C. Smith
The Wreck Today
- 2-80
- Largely intact, resting on a steep slope
- Not established
- Not established
- Within Isle Royale National Park
Position
- 47.89° N 89.22° W
- Reported, unconfirmed
- Washington Harbor, Isle Royale, Michigan
Reported position near North Gap, Washington Harbor, drawn from the wreck's National Register of Historic Places listing coordinates.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
National Park Service, Isle Royale National Park
History, ownership, loss narrative
National Park Service, wreck event article
Wreck event narrative
National Register of Historic Places, Shipwrecks of Isle Royale National Park
Reported wreck coordinates.
