USS Michigan (1843) facts for kids
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USS Michigan, seen here after her name was changed to USS Wolverine in 1905.
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Quick facts for kids History |
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 United States |
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| Name | Michigan |
| Ordered | 19 May 1839 |
| Builder | Stackhouse and Tomlinson |
| Laid down | 1839 |
| Launched | 5 December 1840 |
| Commissioned | 29 September 1844 |
| Decommissioned | 6 May 1912 |
| Renamed | Wolverine on 17 June 1905 |
| Stricken | C.12 August 1923 |
| Fate | Scrapped in 1949 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 685 tons |
| Length | 163 ft (50 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Draft | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion | 2 × 330 ihp (250 kW) steam engines |
| Speed | 10.5 kn (12.1 mph; 19.4 km/h) |
| Capacity | 115 tons of coal |
| Complement | 88 officers and men |
| Armament |
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| Notes |
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The USS Michigan was a very important ship in the United States Navy. It was the first warship ever built by the U.S. Navy with an iron hull. This ship served for many years, including during the American Civil War. In 1905, its name was changed to USS Wolverine.
Contents
Building the Iron Ship: USS Michigan
The Michigan was a side-wheel steamer. It was built because the British government was arming ships on the Great Lakes. This happened after some rebellions in Canada in the late 1830s. The Secretary of the Navy, Abel P. Upshur, chose an iron hull. He wanted to see if iron was a good and strong material for ships.
The ship was designed by Samuel Hartt. Its parts were made in Pittsburgh in 1842. Then, they were transported by land and put together in Erie, Pennsylvania. The ship was supposed to launch on December 5, 1843. However, it got stuck after moving only about 50 feet. The launch had to stop for the night.
The next morning, Hartt found that the Michigan had launched itself! It was floating offshore in Lake Erie. This showed how strong and well-built the iron ship was.
By 1908, the Michigan was known as the oldest metal-hulled ship still in use. Engineers were very interested in it because of its age. The ship's two original steam engines were still working well. They were very powerful, driving the ship's paddle wheels.
The Michigan had three sets of boilers over its lifetime. The first set lasted for 50 years! The ship used low-pressure steam, which was enough to power its engines. Around 1905, the ship switched from kerosene lamps to electric lights. A special engine was built to run the dynamo (electricity generator) using the ship's low-pressure steam.
The ship also had a unique system. It could use hot water directly from the boiler to repel attackers. This was a clever defense for its time. At first, the ship used a lot of coal, about two tons per hour. After some changes, it used much less, about half a ton per hour.
The Michigan was not known for being fast. But in 1901, it was sent to Buffalo to help prevent riots. This was after President William McKinley was assassinated. The ship reached almost 14 knots (about 16 miles per hour) by pushing its engines to the limit.
Early Adventures on the Great Lakes
The Michigan officially started service on September 29, 1844. Its first commander was William Inman. The ship operated on the Great Lakes for its entire career, based out of Erie, Pennsylvania.
In May 1851, the Michigan helped with an important event. It assisted in the arrest of James Jesse Strang. Strang was a leader of a Mormon group on Beaver Island. He was known as "King James I." Strang was later released. However, he was assassinated by two of his followers in 1856. The people who assassinated him went to the Michigan for safety. They were taken to Mackinac and then released.
The Michigan also had an encounter with "timber pirates" in the 1850s. These pirates were stealing timber on the Great Lakes. A pirate steamer tried to ram the Michigan. But the pirate ship was badly damaged and was captured. The USS Michigan was truly the first iron-hulled ship in the US Navy.
The Civil War and Protecting the Lakes
During the American Civil War, the Michigan was well-armed. It had several cannons, including Parrott rifles and smoothbore guns. It also carried two smaller boat howitzers.
The Confederate States thought about attacking the North from Canada. In 1863, a Confederate officer planned to buy a steamer in Canada. He wanted to use it to capture the Michigan in Erie. Then, he would use the Michigan to attack locks and shipping on the Great Lakes. However, Confederate President Jefferson Davis did not approve this plan.
The Michigan patrolled the Great Lakes for most of the war. It helped keep things stable and secure. In July 1863, after riots in New York City, the ship's commander reported from Detroit. He said the people were worried about more riots. The presence of the Michigan helped calm fears and prevent trouble. In August 1863, the ship was called to Buffalo, New York, for similar reasons.
In 1864, there were more rumors of Confederate plans in Canada. The Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles, ordered the Michigan to be ready for action. In the fall, the Confederates finally made a move. A group of 20 Confederates, led by John Yates Beall, boarded the steamer Philo Parsons as passengers. They soon took control of the ship. Next, they captured and burned another steamer, the Island Queen.
Meanwhile, a Confederate agent named Charles H. Cole tried to gain the trust of the Michigan's officers. The Michigan was guarding Confederate prisoners near Johnson's Island. But Commander Carter discovered Cole's true intentions. He had Cole arrested before Beall could reach Johnson's Island. Since the planned signals from shore were not given, Beall gave up his plan. He went to Sandwich (now Windsor, Ontario) and burned the Philo Parsons.
Later Service and Renaming
After the Civil War, the Michigan continued to serve the U.S. Navy. In 1866, it stopped and took in the army of the Fenian Brotherhood. This group was returning from an invasion of Canada near Buffalo, New York.
On July 16, 1902, the Michigan was hit by another ship. An ore carrier, the Maurice B. Grover, rammed the Michigan's bow while it was docked in Erie, Pennsylvania. The Michigan was pushed about 200 yards down the harbor. Its bowsprit, forecastle, and front bulkhead were damaged. The ship also had scrapes along its left side. Some of its cannons were bent, and a boat was destroyed. The repairs cost a lot of money.
On June 17, 1905, the Michigan was renamed USS Wolverine. This was done so the name Michigan could be used for a new, large battleship, the USS Michigan (BB-27).
The Wolverine was taken out of active service on May 6, 1912.
After being decommissioned, the Wolverine was given to the Pennsylvania Naval Militia. It served them for 11 years. The ship was used for training cruises in the summer for the United States Naval Reserve.
In 1913, the Wolverine played a special role. It towed the brig USS Niagara from port to port. This was part of the celebrations for the 100-year anniversary of the War of 1812 Battle of Lake Erie. In 1920, the U.S. Navy gave the ship a modern identification number, IX-31. This meant it was a "miscellaneous auxiliary" ship.
The Wolverine's active career ended on August 12, 1923. A part of its port engine, called a connecting rod, broke.
A Ship Becomes a Relic
In 1927, the Wolverine's hull was moved onto a sandbank. This was in Misery Bay on the Presque Isle State Park Peninsula. The ship was loaned to the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, as a historical relic.
On July 19, 1948, the ship was sold to a group. This group wanted to save and restore the original USS Michigan. However, they could not raise enough money for the project. So, in 1949, the ship was cut up and sold for scrap metal.
Sam Tanenbaum, who owned the scrap company, donated the ship's front part, called the prow, back to the city of Erie. In 1950, the Wolverine's prow was set up as a monument. It was placed in Wolverine Park in Erie, near where the ship was built.
On February 22, 1998, the prow was moved again. It went to the Erie Maritime Museum for restoration. Today, you can see this important piece of history inside the museum.
Images for kids
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USS Wolverine in a Great Lakes port in the early 1900s.
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USS Wolverine (IX-31)
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Sam Tanenbaum in December, 2013 at age 93 sitting next to the prow of the USS Wolverine which he had donated to the city of Erie PA in 1949
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