SS Hudson, Steel-hulled package freighter in Houghton County, US.
The SS Hudson was a steel-hulled cargo vessel built to transport bulk goods across the Great Lakes during the late 1880s. The wreck now rests deep in Lake Superior with its structure still largely intact, showing how the hull has endured through more than a century of submersion.
Built in 1887 by the Detroit Dry Dock Company, this vessel represented the modern steel-hulled ships that transformed Great Lakes shipping. It sank in 1901 during a severe storm, marking the end of its working years on the water.
The name SS Hudson reflects a time when ships were named after important waterways that connected trade routes across North America. This naming choice shows how maritime commerce shaped the identity of vessels during the late 1800s.
Exploring this wreck requires specialized deep-water diving equipment and advanced technical skills due to the significant depth of Lake Superior. Only experienced divers with proper training and permissions should attempt to visit this site.
Few people realize that the vessel sank while carrying a full cargo of wheat and flax seed, leaving thousands of tons of goods on the lake bottom. This cargo tells a story about what was being traded and how commerce moved across the region during that era.
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