Charles H. Bradley
Photographed lumber-carrying career
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Keweenaw Bay. It is informed by the historical record set out under History below, where the documented evidence and the interpretation are kept apart; rigging, colours and fittings are partly inferred. It is not a survey of the wreck.
This ship ran aground along this shore. Nobody knows the exact spot, so the marker shows the general area.
Starboard bow · complete vessel · drag to rotate, scroll or pinch to zoom, right-drag to pan. Hiding a part shows what sat beneath it; it does not recreate the wreck.
What the model represents
From the model specification. Two lists, kept apart on purpose.
Documented
- The vessel history records a 201×37×13.6 ft wooden steamer built at West Bay City in 1890; another shipbuilding list gives 1891. Brendon Baillod — Charles H. Bradley history and historical photograph
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. The photograph guides the raised forward pilothouse, single aft funnel, large foremast and light aft pole mast. Lumber load and hidden fittings are interpreted. Sources differ between 1890 and 1891 for construction; 1890 is selected. Exact hull lines and loaded draft are unknown.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 3.50 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 10 ft of water; that describes the site, not the ship.
Renders from the model
History, evidence and limits
The research notes behind the reconstruction, reproduced with their citations.
Version 1.1. Metadata and presentation revised September 8, 2026; original evidence review retained.
Selected appearance
Photographed lumber-carrying career. The photograph guides the raised forward pilothouse, single aft funnel, large foremast and light aft pole mast. Lumber load and hidden fittings are interpreted. Sources differ between 1890 and 1891 for construction; 1890 is selected. Exact hull lines and loaded draft are unknown.
Documented evidence
The vessel history records a 201×37×13.6 ft wooden steamer built at West Bay City in 1890; another shipbuilding list gives 1891. Brendon Baillod — Charles H. Bradley history and historical photograph
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
The photographed lumber-carrying career is represented. Brendon Baillod's vessel history gives a 201 × 37 × 13.6 ft wooden steamer built at West Bay City in 1890. Its named bow photograph supports a raised forward house with a high wheelhouse, a substantial foremast, long lumber-carrying deck, single aft funnel and covered stern accommodation. A lighter pole is visible aft. The account describes a 1931 fire following a collision involving consort Grampian.
House proportions are estimated from the oblique photograph against recorded hull dimensions. The underside, loaded waterline, detailed plank runs, steering gear, windows on unseen faces, anchor size, lifeboat internals and cargo stack heights are interpreted. The model's neutral paint palette is a presentation choice; the monochrome photograph does not establish exact colors. The lighter aft pole is not a second working cargo mast. Cargo can be hidden for deck inspection.
Unresolved uncertainties
No complete original lines plan is claimed. Exact loaded draft, concealed surfaces and fine fittings remain interpreted. The earlier research context below retains the source distinctions used for this reconstruction.
The 1898 Mansfield shipbuilding list reproduced by Links to the Past puts C. H. Bradley under 1891, conflicting with the selected 1890 vessel-history date. A complete original lines plan was not located. The exterior is a credible reconstruction, not an exact as-built model. The chosen image represents a working career, not the condition or weather during the fire.
Sources
- Brendon Baillod — Charles H. Bradley history and historical photograph
- Mansfield 1898 shipbuilder list, reproduced by Links to the Past — conflicting construction year
Illustration conditions
Lake, shoreline, lighting and weather are artistic staging, not evidence of a specific historical voyage. AI artwork is supplemental; the GLB and direct renders establish the delivered geometry.
Sources used for the model
Rights and respect
Removing or disturbing wreckage on Great Lakes bottomlands is a felony under Michigan Part 761, 1994 PA 451, at a fair market value of $100 or more. Positions are historical reference only — not navigation and not dive-planning data. Wreck records are published by the Michigan Underwater Preserve Council.
Treat these as graves. Lives were lost on many Great Lakes wrecks and human remains may still be present. Look, photograph, and leave everything exactly as you found it.
Model and renders were newly made for this project (2026). Three.js r160.1 is used under the MIT licence; its notice ships with the vendored files. Wreck position, depth and dates: Michigan Underwater Preserve Council. The model specification (version 1.1, revised 2026-09-08) is published beside the assets (model-spec.json).