Barge No. 1
Vessel Type: Wooden car ferry barge
GPS Location: N45° 00.919’ W83° 18.238’
Depth: 42 Feet
Wreck Length: 309 Feet
Beam: 44 Feet
Gross Tonnage: 1544
Cargo: Lumber, Chickens
Launched: 1895 by James Davidson at West Bay City, Michigan
Wrecked: November 8, 1918
Description: Four huge barges were constructed in 1895 for the Lake Michigan Car Ferry Barge Company, to carry rail cars from Peshtigo, Wisconsin to Chicago. They were named simply: No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4.
In 1910, No. 1 was sold, subsequently operating out of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, carrying pulpwood and bulk freights. It ran onto a reef near Thunder Bay’s North Point during a storm, and began breaking up. Crates of live chickens from its cargo reportedly washed ashore on Thunder Bay Island and were recovered and eaten by lighthouse keepers and the U.S. Life Saving Station crew on the island.
Great Lakes Maritime Collection digital archive: http://greatlakeships.org/2904598/data?n=1
