James Davidson
Vessel Type: Motor: wooden bulk freighter
GPS Location: Hull: N45° 01.944’ 83° 11.563’; Bilge: N45° 01.877’ W83° 11.764’
Depth: 35 feet
Wreck Length: 100 feet
Beam: 30 feet
Gross Tonnage: 1456
Cargo: Coal
Launched: 1874 by James Davidson at Bay City, Michigan
Wrecked: October 4, 1883
Description: Over 200 feet long, James Davidson was among the first of its ship type and a giant in its day. On one of its first trips, it loaded 110,000 bushels of oats at Chicago, the largest load carried on the Great Lakes at the time. After a relatively short career, it met its end on Lake Huron while towing the consort barge Middlesex from Buffalo, New York, to Duluth, Minnesota. James Davidson ran onto the southeastern tip of Thunder Bay Island in hazy weather, severely damaging its hull and becoming a total loss. The wreck has broken up over time and today the two largest remaining pieces are the hull and bilge sections. The engine and boiler were salvaged not long after it stranded.
Great Lakes Maritime Collection digital archive: http://greatlakeships.org/2899839/data?n=1
