The Steamboat Indiana's Last Voyage
Constructed in 1848, the Indiana was an early propeller steamboat on the Great Lakes. Like most freighters on the Lakes, the Indiana was neither large nor luxurious. It moved people and cargo around the lakes for ten years before coming to an all-too-common end.
On June 6, 1858, while carrying ore on Lake Superior, the Indiana went to the bottom. All 21 crew and passengers survived. One of the ship’s propeller blades had loosened, striking the ship’s sternpost, causing a serious leak. Located by a sport diver in 1972, the Indiana’s pioneering propulsion machinery was raised seven years later by staff of the National Museum of American History.
Site Plan of the Wreck
The Indiana is preserved nearly intact on the sandy bed of Lake Superior. The position of the remains indicates that the bow hit the lake bed first, splitting the hull timbers open and spilling the iron ore cargo forward. The stern is virtually intact except for the missing deck houses and other structures, which broke away while the ship was still on the surface.
The Indiana’s First Captain
Alva Bradley was the Indiana’s first captain and one of the steamer’s first owners. In 1848, Bradley and a friend formed a partnership and hired itinerant shipbuilder Joseph Keating to build the Indiana at Vermilion, Ohio.
From E. M. Avery, A History of Cleveland and Its Environs: The Heart of New Connecticut (1918)
The Indiana’s Last Owner
Born in upstate New York, Frank Perew joined the Great Lakes shipping industry at the age of 17. He bought a half interest in the Indiana in 1854 and served as master until late 1856. Perew and his nephew were aboard the Indiana when it sank in 1858. He later managed a considerable shipping business and was so highly regarded that three Great Lakes vessels were named after him.
From L. B. Lane, A Memorial and Family History of Erie County, New York (1906-08)
What did the Indiana look like?
The Indiana sank when photography was new. There are very few contemporary photographs of Great Lakes vessels, and no known pictures of the Indiana. Shown here, the 1846 steamboat Globe is very close to the Indiana in size, shape, and overall configuration.
Indiana’s Power Plant
The Indiana was declared eligible for the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 because of its pioneering engine, boiler, and propeller. The design of the propeller became widely used on the Great Lakes. These engineering drawings show the design of the ship's propulsion system. The builders are still unknown.
