| Summary: | The Great Lakes side-wheel steamboat Anthony Wayne was built in 1837 at Perrysburg, OH and participated in lakes shipping during a time when such vessels were experiencing their heyday. Designed as a passenger and cargo carrier, the steamer spent 13 years transporting goods and people throughout the Upper Lakes until succumbing to a boiler explosion while headed to Buffalo on 28 April 1850.
The remains of Anthony Wayne were discovered in 2006 and two years later a collaborative project was begun for the purposes of documenting and assessing the present day condition of the wreck. Anthony Wayne is the oldest steamboat wreck on the Great Lakes to be studied by archaeologists and represents an important piece of maritime heritage that can aid researchers in understanding architectural and machinery specifics that are unknown to us today.
This thesis presents the results of an archaeological and archival investigation of Anthony Wayne. Information pertaining to the discovery and significance of the vessel are presented, followed by descriptions of Perrysburg and its shipping industry, the steamer's owners, and how the vessel was built. The operational history of Anthony Wayne is then outlined chronologically, including ports of call, cargoes, masters, and incidents the steamer experienced. Details of the explosion and the aftermath of the sinking are then discussed, followed by a brief summary of other Great Lakes steamboat catastrophes from 1850 and why boilers explode. Focus then shifts to the two-year archaeological investigation, including project objectives, methodology, and findings. The construction specifics of the steamboat's hull, drive system, and associated artifacts are then presented, followed by post-project analysis and conclusions. A catalog of Great Lakes steam vessels, vessel enrollment documentation, the coroner's inquest following the disaster, and the initial dive report from the discoverers are furnished as appendices.
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