AH-WR-1497

Western Reserve

Bulk Freighter · United States · Lost 1892 · Whitefish Point & Eastern Lake Superior

A new steel freighter that broke apart off Deer Park in 1892, taking her owner and his family with her.

Become Captain of Record See Shipwreck on Map

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Historically Reconstructed. Drawn from partial documentation of this vessel together with her known class and configuration. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Western Reserve was among the first steel freighters on the lakes, built in 1890. On 30 August 1892, running without cargo, she broke apart in a Lake Superior gale. Her owner, Peter Minch, was aboard with members of his family, and they were lost with the crew. Only one man, wheelsman Harry Stewart, reached shore alive.

Vessel

Built: 1890
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Steel
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, single screw
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: August 30, 1892
Cause: Storm
Location: Lake Superior, off Deer Park, Michigan
Water: Lake Superior
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: 46.75° N 85.55° W
Accuracy: General area only
Nearest: Deer Park, Michigan
Region: Whitefish Point & Eastern Lake Superior

Pin marks the named place of loss, not a surveyed wreck position.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Partially documented (70/100)

Exact wreck position, depth and present condition are not established in the sources reviewed.

Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society
Vessel history, loss and search history.
Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University
Vessel particulars and career.