Montana
Photograph-guided package-freighter form
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Thunder 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.
Nobody knows the exact spot where this ship went down, 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
- NOAA describes a 236×36 ft wooden package freighter built in 1872. NOAA vessel record
- The vessel later entered the lumber trade. NOAA vessel record
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. The photograph guides the timber arches, long deckhouse, tall foremast and short aft mast. This represents the package-freighter career, before the later lumber conversion; fine fittings, hull lines and paint are interpreted.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 3.70 m above the keel, a display assumption, not a measured draft. The wreck lies in about 66 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
Photograph-guided package-freighter form. The photograph guides the timber arches, long deckhouse, tall foremast and short aft mast. This represents the package-freighter career, before the later lumber conversion; fine fittings, hull lines and paint are interpreted.
Documented evidence
NOAA describes a 236×36 ft wooden package freighter built in 1872. NOAA vessel record
The vessel later entered the lumber trade. NOAA vessel record
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Visual evidence and comparisons. The inspected named historical broadside shows large curved timber reinforcing arches on both sides, a long low deckhouse, elevated forward wheelhouse, very tall foremast and much shorter aft mast, and a single aft funnel. Their relative arrangement distinguishes Montana from an open-deck bulk carrier.
Visible qualification. The photograph guides the timber arches, long deckhouse, tall foremast and short aft mast. This represents the package-freighter career, before the later lumber conversion; fine fittings, hull lines and paint are interpreted.
Sources and use.
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.
Evidence assessment: build a qualified interpretation. The evidence and comparisons below support a credible overall likeness. This is not an exact or authenticated as-built replica.
Documented baseline and source differences. NOAA describes a wooden 236 × 36 ft package freighter built in 1872, later converted to the lumber trade and lost in 1914. A large steam power train remains. The model selects its package-freighter career, rather than assuming the earlier upper works remained unchanged after conversion.
Reasonable interpretations and unresolved details. The arch shape, cabin roof profiles, repeated windows and cargo doors are approximated from the photograph. Structural dimensions, interior passenger layout and decorative wheelhouse details were not recovered. Paint is a plausible light-hull finish inferred from a monochrome photo. Arch visibility is an inspection aid, not a depiction of an unsupported hull sailing without reinforcement.
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
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).