In the interest of preserving Minnesota's Lake Superior shipwrecks and other underwater archaeological sites in Minnesota's lakes and rivers, the State Historic Preservation Office of the Minnesota Historical Society has initiated a program of submerged cultural resource management. The Society hopes you will join its effort to preserve our maritime heritage.

Shipwreck Map Shipwreck Exhibit Thomas Wilson Hesper Onoko Madeira Samuel P. Ely Amboy George Spencer U.S.S. Essex Niagara

Minnesota Lake Superior Shipwreck Exhibit Thomas Wilson, Hesper, Onoko, Madeira, Samuel P. Ely, Amboy, George Spencer, U.S.S. Essex, Niagara Minnesota Lake Superior History History of Minnesota's Lake Superior (31 Pages) Exploration and Fur Trade (1650-1840) Settlement & Fishing on Lake Superior (1854-1930) Minnesota's Iron Ore Industry (1880s-1945) Northern Minnesota Lumbering (1870-1930s) Railroads and Agricultural Development (1870-1940) North Shore Tourism and Recreation (1870-1945) History and Development of Great Lakes Water Craft (17 pages) Sailing Craft Passenger and Package Freight Steamers Bulk Freight Steamers Small Craft Vessel Types on the Great Lakes (4 pages) Sailing Craft Passenger and Package Freight Steamers Bulk Freight Steamers Small Craft Lake Superior Shipwrecks (3 pages) Sailing Craft Passenger and Package Freight Steamers Bulk Freight Steamers Small Craft Major Bibliographic References Lake Superior History Photos Lake Superior Shipwrecks Map List of Lake Superior Shipwrecks Shipwrecks of Minnesota's Inland Lakes and Rivers History of Inland Water Transportation in Minnesota (10 pages) Exploration and Fur Trade (1650-1840) St. Croix Triangle Lumbering (1830s-1900s) Early Agriculture and River Settlement (1840-1870) Northern Minnesota Lumbering (1870-1930s) Tourism and Recreation in the Lake Region (1870-1945) Vessel Types on Minnesota's Inland Waters (6 pages) Major Bibliographic References Minnesota's Shipwreck Preservation Plan A Management Philosophy Beneath Minnesota Waters (34 pages) Introduction The Need for a Plan Legislative Overview Pre-contact and Contact Periods Site Background Preservation Issues for Pre-contact and Contact Periods Sites Post-contact Period Sites Background Preservation Issues for Post-contact Period Sites Other Issues Concerning Submerged Resources Agency Responsibilities Public Comment on the Plan Conclusions References

Tip: Click on the ship's image or name below for an online exhibit of text and photos. Most of the photos have full size versions, click on the photo to view it.

The steel whaleback steamer Thomas Wilson sank in a collision outside of Duluth harbor on June 9, 1902. With holds still full of Mesabi ore, the steamer lies in 70 feet of water. Photos

The Madeira, a schooner-barge built in 1900, was one of 20 ships wrecked in a violent storm near Split Rock in 1905. Photos

The log rafting tug Niagara, built in 1872, sank off Knife Island in 1904. Remains of the Niagara include a large section of the bow and a section of the side lying in 80 to 100 feet of water. Photos

In 1915, the first iron-built bulk freighter on the Great Lakes, the Onoko sank about six miles east of Knife River. The Onoko lies upside down in 200 feet of water. Photos

The wooden freighter Hesper, battered in a storm, sank on May 3, 1905, en route to Two Harbors. The well-preserved remains of the hull lie in shallow water near the Silver Bay breakwater. Photos

The USS Essex, a navy gunboat that burned and sank in shallow water near Duluth, was one of the last vessels built by Donald McKay, the master builder of clipper ships. Photos

The Amboy (Photos), a wooden schooner-barge, sank during the famous Mataafa Storm south of Taconite Harbor. An archaeological survey there has located the remains of the George Spencer (Photos), the vessel that had been towing the Amboy.

The wooden schooner, the Samuel P. Ely, was wrecked on October 29, 1896 when she broke from a tug at Two Harbors, Minnesota in a gale, and then blew across the harbor into the stone breakwater then under construction. Photos