Michael Groh
Original c.1867 lumber steamer, before enlargement
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Munising 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 original 1867 enrollment gives 120.4×23.8×8.6 ft, 174.15 gross tons and US17572. Labadie, NPS Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (1989)
- Built by Quayle and Martin before a substantial 1881–82 rebuild. Labadie, NPS Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (1989)
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. Original 120.4 ft form with aft cabins, not the 141.5 ft enlarged vessel lost in 1895. The second working mast, wheelhouse proportions, deck lumber and fittings are interpreted.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.05 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 12 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
Original c.1867 lumber steamer, before enlargement. Original 120.4 ft form with aft cabins, not the 141.5 ft enlarged vessel lost in 1895. The second working mast, wheelhouse proportions, deck lumber and fittings are interpreted.
Documented evidence
The original 1867 enrollment gives 120.4×23.8×8.6 ft, 174.15 gross tons and US17572. Labadie, NPS Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (1989)
Built by Quayle and Martin before a substantial 1881–82 rebuild. Labadie, NPS Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (1989)
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
The model deliberately depicts the original compact 1867 vessel, before its substantial 1881–82 rebuild. Labadie transcribes the Cleveland enrollment of September 5, 1867: 120.4 x 23.8 x 8.6 ft, 174.15 gross tons, official number 17572. Quayle and Martin built the vessel for Thomas Manning and Michael Groh. The original type is described as a single-deck lumber steamer with small cabins at the stern; the source distinguishes these early vessels from later types with wheelhouses forward. NPS study, printed pp.62–66.
The hull is scaled to 36.69792 m by 7.25424 m. Small aft cabins and the elevated aft steering position preserve that early stern-house concept. One funnel and two bare working masts are a plausible arrangement; no verified original photo or machinery arrangement plan was recovered, so mast count, exact wheelhouse form, stack dimensions and stations remain interpretations. The source describes the original 200 hp machinery but itself infers the likely engine type; no detailed engine is claimed or modeled.
The study records a winter 1881–82 enlargement to 141.5 ft length and 289.91 gross tons, with widening and a new boiler. The longer vessel was lost in November 1895. Do not present this original 120.4 ft model as the exact ship at the time of sinking. The 120 ft workbook entry is retained and aligns with the early form approximately.
Deck cargo consists of two illustrative stacks of sawn lumber with visible board ends. Their quantity is not a calculated loading condition. Hiding deck_cargo with setCargo(boolean) reveals covered hatches. Hull lines, paint, draft, propeller, cabin details and rigging are inferred. The original 8.6 ft hold-depth baseline is not a draft measurement. The wreck marker is approximate; the model supplies no new positioning evidence.
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.
Sources
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
- Labadie, NPS Submerged Cultural Resources Study: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (1989) — source
Printed pp.62–66: original enrollment, stern cabins and later enlargement
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).