Yosemite
Interpreted later lumber-carrying career
An interpretive 3D reconstruction of the vessel afloat, in the form named above and from before its loss in Whitefish 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
- Wooden propeller freighter US27541, built by G.Fordham at Sandusky in 1867. Historical loss compilation, X–Z entries
- Reported dimensions 152×29×10 ft; distinct from the Pacific sidewheeler. Historical loss compilation, X–Z entries
Inferred
- Underwater hull lines and draft
- Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Configuration caveat. Dimensions, steam propulsion and lumber-carrying work are documented. No ship-specific portrait was accessible. The nearby-era W.P. Thew informs the forward pilothouse, aft machinery house and two bare masts; these remain inferences about Yosemite. Exact refit state and paint are unknown.
Two numbers that are not the same thing. The waterline toggle sits at 2.80 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
Interpreted later lumber-carrying career. Dimensions, steam propulsion and lumber-carrying work are documented. No ship-specific portrait was accessible. The nearby-era W.P. Thew informs the forward pilothouse, aft machinery house and two bare masts; these remain inferences about Yosemite. Exact refit state and paint are unknown.
Documented evidence
Wooden propeller freighter US27541, built by G.Fordham at Sandusky in 1867. Historical loss compilation, X–Z entries
Reported dimensions 152×29×10 ft; distinct from the Pacific sidewheeler. Historical loss compilation, X–Z entries
Reasonable interpretation
Underwater hull lines and draft
Exact colors, fittings, hatch layout and rigging routes
Historical records identify US 27541, a wooden propeller freighter built by G. Fordham at Sandusky in 1867, 152 × 29 × 10 ft, burned at Emerson in 1892. Records list substantial repairs and an 1886 rebuild. An 1881 shipping report reproduced by the Marsh Collection describes Yosemite in the lumber trade. This is the Great Lakes vessel, not the Pacific sidewheeler of the same name.
These evidence-informed exterior models are newly authored approximations. No complete original lines plan has been recovered for this work. Colors, finish, minor rigging and fittings are period interpretations. Dimensions do not establish a precise loaded draft. The viewer places these qualifications beside the model.
Lake, shoreline, sky and weather are artistic staging. The AI illustration is not a historical photograph, not evidence of loss-day conditions and not an exact rendering of the GLB. Use direct model renders to inspect geometry.
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.
Interpreted later lumber-carrying career. Dimensions, steam propulsion and lumber-carrying work are documented. No ship-specific portrait was accessible. The nearby-era W.P. Thew informs the forward pilothouse, aft machinery house and two bare masts; these remain inferences about Yosemite. Exact refit state and paint are unknown.
The linked Yosemite archive image was inaccessible and was not inspected. The inspected W.P. Thew photograph and NOAA vessel description provide a regional, nearby-era wooden steam lumber-carrier comparison (1884; 132 × 24 ft). Yosemite’s two bare masts, raised forward pilothouse, long lumber deck and aft machinery house with one funnel are inferences using that comparison, not direct evidence of Yosemite’s arrangement. Thew was a smaller, different ship. Exact rebuild state, hull lines, machinery placement, draft, deck loads and paint remain unknown. The result is an interpreted later lumber-carrying career, not an exact original 1867 design.
Sources
- Historical loss compilation, X–Z entries
- Marsh Collection: reproduced 1881 shipping report
- NOAA: W.P. Thew comparison vessel
- Inspected comparison photograph: W.P. Thew
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).