United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
1
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service
National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National
Register Bulletin, How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the
property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, and areas of
significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions.
1. Name of Property
Historic name:
Other names/site number:
Name of related multiple property listing:
Wayzata Bay Wreck (preferred)
21-HE-401
Wrecks and Submerged Cultural Resources of
Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota
(Enter "NA" if property is not part of a multiple property listing)
D
2. Location
Wayzata Bay, Lake Minnetonka
Minnetonka
State: Minnesota
X
Vicinity: X
County: Hennepin
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Street & number:
City or town:
Not For Publication:
3. State/Federal Agency Certification
FT
A
As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify
that this ___ nomination ___ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for
registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and
professional requirements et for in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not
meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the
following level(s) of significance:
___ national ___ statewide ___ local
Applicable National Register Criteria:
_____ A
_____ B
Signature of certifying officer/Title:
_____ C
_____ D
Date
State or Federal Agency and Bureau
In my opinion, the property ___ meets ___ does not meet the National Register criteria.
Signature of certifying officer/Title:
State or Federal Agency and Bureau
Date
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
2
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
4. National Park Service Certification
I hereby certify that this property is:
entered in the National Register
determined eligible for the National Register
determined not eligible for the National Register
removed from the National Register
other (explain)
Signature of the Keeper
Date of Action
D
5. Classification
Ownership of Property
Category of Property
Number of Resources within Property
(Check as many boxes as apply.)
(Check only one box.)
(Do not include previously listed resources in count)
Contributing
Noncontributing
Public - Local:
Public - State:
Building(s)
buildings
District
X
sites
Site
Structure
1
X
FT
A
Public - Federal:
R
Private:
Object
1
structures
objects
Total
Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register: 0
6. Function or Use
Historic Functions
Current Functions
(Enter categories from instructions.)
(Enter categories from instructions.)
COMMERCE/trade
N/A
TRANSPORTATION/water-related
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
3
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
7. Description
Architectural Classification
Materials
(Enter categories from instructions.)
(Enter categories from instructions.)
Other: Lake Minnetonka Model Barge
Principal exterior materials of the property:
Unpowered
wood
Late 19th Century
iron
Pointed Ends
D
Narrative Description
Summary Paragraph
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The Wayzata Bay Wreck is located in Wayzata Bay, Lake Minnetonka, 945 yards offshore from
the city of Minnetonka, Minnesota. The wreck lies on public property administered by the State
of Minnesota; the wreck itself falls under the jurisdiction of the Office of the State
Archaeologist. The wreck is 85.00 feet long, her beam is 18.50 feet, her depth of hold is 3.50
feet, both ends are pointed indicating she is model barge, and her hull is entirely intact. The
hull lies on the bottom of the lake surrounded by nearly two feet of anaerobic silt that promotes
preservation. The Wayzata Bay Wreck sank in 1879 and with its completely intact structure, is
the best preserved model barge wreck in the United States (Merriman and Olson 2013 7-9,
2014, 38).
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A
Narrative Description
Maritime Heritage Minnesota (MHM) recorded a sonar image of the Wayzata Bay Wreck in
November 2011 during the Lake Minnetonka Survey 1 Project (LMS-1) and acquired her site
number (21-HE-401) from the Minnesota Office of the State Archaeologist (OSA) in December
2011. MHM dove on the wreck in May 2013, June 2014, and June 2015. Her length is 85.00
feet, her beam is 18.50 feet, her depth of hold is 3.50 feet, and she is a wooden model barge.
A model barge is an un-powered vessel that has two pointed (sharp) ends, making her doubleended. She is sturdily built, with longitudinal outer hull planking and large stem and sternposts.
Since the hull is double-ended, the distinction between port and starboard, and bow and stern,
is determined when the vessel is being towed. The deck has two layers of planking; the lower
layer is attached longitudinally and the upper layer is attached athwartships. Six large scarfs
connecting several large timbers comprise the gunwale that has a rubrail (sprung in places)
attached by iron bolts. Four large cleats are attached to the gunwale amidships on either side
of the hull, although one cleat is missing - a large mounting U-bolt is a surviving remnant. Metal
straps for reinforcement of the outer hull are also located at the cleat sites, indicating a great
need for a strong hull at these attachment points. There are four hatches cut into the deck
surrounded by combing, two at either end of the wreck. At both ends of the wreck on the center
line, two large H-bitts protrude through the hull. At the very center of the deck, a longitudinally-
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
4
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
placed plank would have held a stanchion for a hogging chain. One end of the wreck has slight
damage, suggesting this end hit the bottom of the lake first and took the brunt of the wrecking
stress. Due to this slight damage, futtocks on one side have been exposed and missing hatch
combing has exposed a deck beam and clamp. These areas provide an opportunity to
investigate the inner hull and record construction attributes without harming the wreck
(Merriman and Olson 2012, 39, 2013 7-11, 2014, 38).
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MHM determined that the Wayzata Bay Wreck sank on September 30, 1879: "Monday night's
storm was a lively on at Lake Minnetonka. A barge was sunk and a small steamer was
capsized near Wayzata" (St. Paul Globe 1879). Another account noted "During the storm
Monday night one of the Lake Minnetonka steamers was tipped over and a barge sank" (St.
Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press 1879). MHM ascertained the Wayzata Bay Wreck is the
barge that sank during that violent storm, particularly since the completely reviewed sonar
footage recorded in 2011 revealed no other barges on the bottom of the bay and her
construction is consistent with barges from that era. The wreck's open hatches facilitated the
inclusion of the Wayzata Bay Wreck in an on-going sediment build-up study MHM has been
conducting in Lake Minnetonka. In mid-June 2014, MHM returned to the wreck site and
determined the sediment build-up in the hull of the wreck measured 16 inches, an
accumulation rate of 0.12 inches per year. This small number indicates that water moving
through Wayzata Bay on its way to the Grays Bay outlet is moving quickly and very little silt
settles out in the process (Merriman and Olson 2014, 38). Another visit to the wreck site in
June 2015 allowed additional video and still photographs in order to further record the site's
condition, including construction attributes inside the hold (Merriman and Olson 2015a, 4-5).
FT
A
In considering aspects of integrity, the Wayzata Bay Wreck meets the threshold for NRHP
nomination and listing. In terms of 'materials', the wreck's heavy, thick wooden outer hull
planking is in near perfect condition, its two layers of thinner deck planks are 95% intact, and
its heavy gunwale with thick scarfs are complete. The wooden deck attributes such as cleats
and bitts are in excellent condition, with only one missing. Inside the hull, the wreck's wooden
frames, futtocks, and other structural components that are visible above the silt are healthy and
in place. In considering 'location', the wreck's location is the original resting place of the model
barge when it sank during a storm on September 29, 1879. The 'setting' of the Wayzata Bay
Wreck, the bottom of Lake Minnetonka, is featureless and consists of silt lying on a hard-pack
sand and gravel lake bottom. The wreck has two historical 'associations' that relate to its
working life - St. Paul businessman James J. Hill and the firm of Hill & Acker/Northwestern
Fuel Company (see below) - and one event, the violent storm of September 29, 1879 that was
repeatedly written about in Twin Cities newspapers. These associations assist in placing the
Wayzata Bay Wreck in its maritime historical context during its working life and during the
wrecking process that provided the structure with its location and setting. In terms of
'workmanship' in boat building, the quality of workmanship and skill of the boatwright is often
indicative of the sturdiness of a vessel and its survival on the bottom of Lake Minnetonka after
the wrecking process. A well-built boat - if it is constructed of quality materials like hard wood can survive for extended periods of time on a lake bottom. Lake Minnetonka provides a
particularly good environment for wreck survival due to its nature - cold and fresh that is
relatively deep. This situation is particularly evident in the condition of the Wayzata Bay Wreck.
The completeness of this wreck is a showcase for the talent of the boatwright that constructed
this vessel. After over 130 years on the lake bottom, the structure's details and construction
attributes are evident throughout the vessel, a testament to its builder and an appropriate
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
5
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
choice of materials. The 'design' that the Wayzata Baw Wreck took during its construction - a
model barge - was a conscious choice of the boat builder. The defining characteristic of a
model barge is its 'double-ended' nature - it has two pointed ends that are determiners of its
type. In the case of the Wayzata Bay Wreck, no elements of its design was lost or damaged
during or after the wrecking process.
The Wayzata Bay Wreck retains extraordinary integrity because the wooden structure is intact,
in its original location after the wrecking process, and the bottom and inner hull are encased in
cold anaerobic silt for outstanding preservation. MHM’s nautical archaeological and maritime
historical investigations of the Wayzata Bay Wreck have revealed the incredible condition of
one of only three known model barge archaeological sites in the United States. In addition to
the rarity of this property type, the Wayzata Bay Wreck is the only site of its type identified in a
lake, probably ensuring its survival because it was not a hazard to navigation. Lake
Minnetonka's cold, fresh water has insured the preservation of the structural components of the
best preserved model barge wreck in the country.
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D
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United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
6
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
8. Statement of Significance
Applicable National Register Criteria
Areas of Significance
(Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying
the property for National Register listing.)
(Enter categories from instructions)
X
Property is associated with events that
have made a significant to the broad
patterns of our history.
B
Property is associated with the lives of
persons significant to our past.
C
Property
embodies
the
distinctive
characteristics of a type, period, or
method of construction or represents the
work of a master, or possesses high
artistic values, or represents a significant
and
distinguishable
entity
whose
components lack individual distinction.
Property has yielded, or is likely to yield,
information important in prehistory or
history.
Archaeology/Historic-Non Aboriginal
Maritime History/Vessel Type-Model
Barge
Period of Significance
1876-1879
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D
D
X
A
FT
A
Significant Dates
1876
1879
Criteria Considerations
(Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.)
Property is:
A Owned by a religious institution or used
for religious purposes.
B
Removed from its original location.
C
A birthplace or grave.
D
A cemetery.
E
A reconstructed
structure..
F
A commemorative property.
G
Less than 50 years of age or achieved
significance within the past 50 years.
building,
Significant Person
(Complete if Criterion B is marked above)
Cultural Affiliation
Euro-American
object,
or
Architect/Builder
Walters or T. J. Patterson
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
7
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph
D
The Wayzata Bay Wreck meets the registration requirements for Criteria C and D at the State
Level as described in the Multiple Property Documentation Form, "Wrecks and Submerged
Cultural Resources of Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota (BC 9500 - AD 1965)". The wreck site is a
significant property within the Lake Minnetonka Context – Post-Contact Period (A.D. 1837 to
1945) – further defined under the Thematic Context of “Railroads & Agricultural Development
(1867-1940),” within Associated Property Type Wooden Properties: Wrecks, W5.1 Wooden
Barges, Identified Wreck Design Model Barge (Merriman and Olson 2015b). The amount of
nautical archaeological and maritime historical data already accumulated about the Wayzata
Bay Wreck is significant, and with further field work more information will be gathered. The
presence of an intact model barge is a one-of-a-kind in situ opportunity to examine the exact
construction of a work boat type that operated on Lake Minnetonka between 1876 and 1879 and is one of only three surviving examples in the United States. The Wayzata Bay Wreck is
the only intact example of its type and is the type specimen of model barge design and
construction.
Narrative Statement of Significance
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Historical Contexts of Model Barges
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A
In the latter half of the 19th Century, model barges were characterized as the "pride of the
western boatman...these boats excite in a remarkable manner the enthusiasm of the river men"
(Hall 1884, 184). This bold statement is strong evidence for the wide-spread use of model
barges. Detailed accounts of model barge use by these river men are currently unknown or do
no exist; the latter is more likely, particularly since barges of all designs were considered
mundane work boats by those who used them. Further, no naval architectural plans of model
barges are known to survive. Therefore, to develop an historical context to explain or analyze
model barge construction and use in the United States and Minnesota, one must use statistical
data accumulated by the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). These records,
brief accountings of model barge use by the US military and their status as part of its 'floating
plant', provide nearly all of the information that is available about wooden model barges in the
maritime historical record throughout the country. Additionally, one hand-written manuscript, a
journal kept by a boat yard worker in Elizabeth, PA on the Monongahela River, provides the
only first-person multi-year account of model barge use and maintenance known to exist in the
US. Lastly, it is believed that the date of construction of the Wayzata Bay Wreck has been
discerned, and its builder has been narrowed down to two possibilities - both Minnesotans.
United States Army Corps of Engineers Reports
The majority of government documents that refer, however briefly, to model barges on the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, come from the records of the USACE and during the Civil War,
the War Department. The earliest references pertaining to model barge use, maintenance,
purchase, or chartering is 1863. Between 1863 and 1865, 55 model barges were cataloged by
the US Army as having been used on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers during the Civil War
(Schofield 1868, 116, 122, 126, 128, 132, 162, 166, 192, 202, 210, 224, 226). By the late
1870s, dozens of model barges were utilized to carry bulk goods in Cincinnati. For example, in
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
8
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
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D
1876, of a recorded 316 vessels that arrived in Cincinnati, 71 of them were model barges
(Merrill 1877, 661). It must be noted that those 71 model barges were paired up with several
steamers to move them; a steamer could move up to six model barges down a river at the
same time. In the early 1880s, model barges were constructed in Pittsburgh and Freedom, PA,
Cincinnati, Jeffersonville, IN, and at numerous locations on the Ohio River. These vessels
were used on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers as bulk carriers with cargoes of grain, railroad
iron, iron ore, tile, and other commodities. These barges ranged from 100 feet to 238 feet long,
30 to 30.5 feet in the beam, depths of hold between 6 and 9 feet, and had a hogging truss
down their centerlines supported by stanchions. The pointed stern was referred to as a 'pinkie'
(Hall 1884, 184-186), a trait that would only be recognized when the model barge was being
towed or pushed by a steamer. On the Mississippi River in the late 1890s, large model barges
were found among dozens of other vessel types as floating stock belonging to the USACE,
between St. Paul and the mouth of the Missouri River north of St. Louis (Durham 1899, 2158).
At times, after inspections of supply depots and the equipment associated with them were
completed, floating stock would be intentionally sunk by the USACE. On one occasion,12
barge flats and one model barge did not pass inspection and were condemned. It was
"proposed to replace them by an equal number of well-built model barges" (Ernst 1884, 1415).
The suggestion to replace the barge flats with model barges is an indicator that this type was
preferred over other barge designs, when given a choice.
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The USACE Third District Plant reported repairs to a group of model barges working on
Mississippi River improvements between May 1, 1892 and April 30, 1893. Nine model barges Apache, Cheyenne, Chinook, Comanche, Maricopa, Mohave, Piute, Shoshone, and Uintah required what were termed 'ordinary repairs' during their working season, such as caulking.
Some of the model barges required more extensive repairs such as the fixing of hull breaks,
re-building decks, replacing frames, stems, side planks, cleats, and bitts. Repairs to these nine
model barges, with the addition of a tenth vessel the Nez Perce, were detailed the next year.
Extensive repairs to these ten model barges included the previously mentioned components as
well as hogging chain and keelson replacement (Hider 1893, 3809, 1894, 2954). The
noteworthy evidence in these USACE reports is the reference to both ends of model barges as
'stems', meaning either end could act as the 'front' of the vessel. By the May 1898-May1899
navigation season, third district USACE records minor repairs to model barges Apache,
Maricopa, and Nez Perce only (Hider 1899, 3552). An inventory of first and second district
USACE floating plant indicates 10 model barges were working on Mississippi River
improvements out of Memphis, TN that year (Nolty 1899, 3532). USACE, in their reports to
Congress, cataloged monetary losses to commercial ventures when boats collided with
bridges. In 1899, two model barges hit the Ohio Falls Bridge on the Ohio River, one loaded
with brick and the other with planished iron. The monetary loss for these accidents amounted
to $185,350 (Bixby 1900, 3099).
In 1903, the USACE annual report to the War Department supplied a specific narrative
breakdown of wood treatments on the floating plant of the Corps. It was reported that "three
different kinds of wood preservative have been applied to all new timbers used in the foregoing
repairs...and [the] highest priced preparation was used on all steamboat and model barge
work" (Nolty 1903, 201). In 1910, the USACE had 49 model barges in their floating plant
inventory out of St. Louis, MO. These vessels weighed 425.00 tons and measured 135.00 feet
long, 28.00 in the beam, with a 5.00 depth of hold. These model barges were constructed
between 1891-1898 in Cincinnati, OH, Paducah, KY, and Madison and Jeffersonville, IN. All of
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
9
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
these model barges were constructed of wood and were employed in improving the Mississippi
River channel between the mouth of the Ohio River to Minneapolis and between the mouths of
the Ohio and Missouri Rivers. In 1911, 45 model barges were employed in this work and in
1912, 43 model barges were being used by the USACE. USACE also utilized model barges in
the western United States, with Model Barge A working at the mouth of the Columbia River
near Portland, OR. Model Barge A was built in 1902 in Portland, weighed 500 tons, 120 foot
long vessel with a 32.00 foot beam and a deep 8.00-foot draft. This barge was reported as
working near Portland in 1910-1912. Model Barge B, a vessel that was the same size as Model
Barge A, was also reported working in the Columbia and lower Willamette Rivers in 1911. Both
of these model barges in Oregon underwent major repairs in 1911 (USACE 1910, 2570-2571,
2582-2585, 1911, 2605, 2611, 2868-2871, 2890-2891,1912, 2976-2977, 3000-3001).
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As the 20th Century moved on, references to wooden model barges reduced, likely to their
decrease in use and number. For example, in 1920, the USACE floating plant number was
decreased by three model barges, #126, #134, and #212, boats that were "dropped on
affidavit". However, model barges #128, #133, #137, and #216 were still in service (USACE
1920, 3163, 3165). Searches of some other USACE documents produced no mentions of
model barges, although there were dozens of references to 'barges' and 'freight barges', etc. It
cannot be determined how many of those barges were the model barge type, of course. This
survey of USACE documents places the model barge type in a national context, where they
served as work boats on the nations waterways, confirmed in the East, Midwest, and Pacific
Northwest. Model barges were an integral part of the system that moved cargo on the rivers
and this vessel type were members of the fleets that maintained the waterways through the
removal of snags, sandbanks, and obstructions. Ironically, sometimes obstructions were
comprised of wooden model barge wrecks (see below) that were destroyed in the 'channel
improvements' process.
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John William Lynch Journal, Elizabeth, PA
In Elizabeth, PA at the Elizabeth Marine Ways on the Monongahela River, John William Lynch
kept a journal of the vessel maintenance and repairs he participated in at the company from
1898-1925. Many of the entries are recollections, not same-day accounts of activities, and
notations are added throughout the pages. As far as can be ascertained, this journal is the only
chronicle of day-to-day handling, maintenance, and repair of model barges that has survived in
the maritime historical record. The earliest reference to a model barge is early May 1902, when
the Napoleon was docked at the Elizabeth Marine Ways along with the steamer Iron Age. This
duo was sighted in late May on the river as well. In January 1903, Lynch "worked on Model
Barge rigging up pumps and stands", and in January 1904, Lynch experienced difficulties when
repairing model barge Thornwell Fay, because the river kept freezing over. In November 1905,
Lynch worked on model barge Maryland and in January 1906, model barges #32, Neptune,
and he put "up new chain braces on Model Barge Emperor". In May 1906, the model barge
Maryland was in for general repairs and in July 1906, Lynch commented "Model Barge
Delaware saddle strakes all around and other like repairs". Model barge Georgia was in for
general repairs in April 1907, model barge Hannibal needed its chain fastening repaired in
July, and Neptune required more work in November 1907. Lynch noted it was "a big repair Job
on this Barge, details in small book". This entry is particularly interesting because of the small
book reference and how that document could enhance the maritime historical record if it were
located (Lynch 1902-1907).
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
10
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
D
In January 1908, model barge Michigan was on the ways and February, Lynch and his "gang"
worked on model barges #42, #70, and Kentucky. The Kentucky was also worked on in March,
along with Model Barges #72, #103, and #106. One journal page lists a series of barges and
boats that were at the Marine Ways between November 1, 1908 and November 16, 1909. On
this list, 19 model barges (two boats were listed twice) were brought up on the ways or
otherwise accommodated for maintenance at the company. Included on the list were model
barges #79, #97, #66, #87, #80, #67, #72, #70, #81, #90, Mississippi, Thornwell Fay,
Tennessee, Nebraska, Eclipse, Maryland, Hannibal, Idaho, and Keystone. A later notation at
the top of this journal page states: "These Barges and Boats with few exception were all
wrecked long ago". On "Friday October 16, 1908 have gang on Model Barge Mississippi
finished her Tuesday November 19, 1908". In late December 1908 and early January 1909,
Lynch worked on model barge #79: "she had burned. the cargo box off and damaged
throughout. turning her into Coal Barge". In May 1909, Lynch was working on model barge
W.H. Osborne, "making coal barge out of her". In March 1910, model barge Indiana and in
April, model barge Pacific were docked at the Elizabeth Marine Ways. On November 14, 1910,
Lynch reported he was "On Model Barge New York for chain brace fastening some patches sheeting her with 1 1/2" Hemlock - bad Barge" (Lynch 1908-1910).
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A brief mention of a model barge on the company's "top yard" was recorded in January 1911,
and Lynch and his crew were busy "cuting [sic] down chain braces and other repairs" on model
barge #79 in February 1911. Neptune returned to the Elizabeth Marine Ways in March 1911
and Lynch remarked "this is a bad barge and is partly burned. have 20 men on her". That
month model barge Emperor was on the ways "for a pce of new stern and other repairs".
Model barge Mexico left the ways in October 1911, two men installed new pumps on model
barge Hannibal in December 1911, and in February 1912, Lynch put "in chain fastening" on
model barge #80. References to model barges drops off significantly from 1912, with only one
February 1915 entry when Lynch repaired nameless model barges. The last two mentions of
model barges relate unfortunate events for US maritime history and nautical archaeology. On
April 19, 1923, Lynch reported the "Dynamitting of wreck of Model barge V Below Ways", and
another model barge wreck being blown up on May 2, 1923 (Lynch 1911-1923).
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Model Barge Wreck Destruction and Type Identification Issues
The River and Harbor Act, "approved March 3, 1899, authorize[d] the Secretary of War to
remove any sunken vessel, boat, water craft, raft, or other similar obstruction obstructing or
endangering navigation in the navigable waters of the United States. The work was authorized
to begin in 1904, undertaken by the USACE (USACE 1920, 1986). John William Lynch's two
1923 journal entries chronicling the destruction of model barge wrecks - hazards to navigationare supported by other historical accounts of model barge wreck removal from waterways.
These actions, in the Monongahela River and in the Ohio River helps explain why only 2 partial
model barge wrecks (see below under 'Archaeology') - beyond the Wayzata Bay Wreck - are
the only examples of this vessel type to survive in the archaeological record. In the Ohio River,
snag boats actively removed sunken obstructions as hazards to navigation and one report of
this enterprise differentiated the vessel types removed. These included "9 steamboats, 29
wrecks (coal boats, barges, and flats), 2 model barges, 1 square barge, 1 wharf boat, 1 ferry
boat, [and] 1 boom boat...were removed from the river proper". The next year, two more model
barge wrecks were removed from the Ohio River (Bixby 1899, 2341, 1900, 3140). Model barge
wrecks were also removed from the Mississippi River by USACE over a series of years, with
the exact wreck locations noted. For example, a 250-ton model barge was taken from the
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
11
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
Mississippi River at Davis Street in St. Louis, MO in 1920 "by snag boats as a part of their
regular work of clearing channel of obstructions" (USACE 1920, 1989, 2501).
Unfortunately, not all model barges were recognized as such in the historical record. One
example of this situation is the James R. Young out of Prairie du Chien, WI. Known from
pictorial evidence (see photos), James R. Young is a model barge that worked the Mississippi
River to James J. Hill's warehouse landing in St. Paul. In the 1868 List of Merchant Vessels
(commonly known as the Merchant Vessel List, MVL), the James R. Young is identified as a
canal boat, not a model barge (MVL 1869, 305). With this issue known, the number of model
barges that plied the country's rivers - and lakes - cannot be ascertained. Interestingly, even
John William Lynch often referred to model barges as freight boats in his journal, describing
their function rather than their type in one freight list (Lynch 1911-1912). Model barges were
regularly used by riverboatmen as a bulk carrier and was favored by general freight carriers.
On the Mississippi River - as a rule - model barges did not carry coal, a product that headed
downriver only, and the upriver trade required:
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the use of barges superior both in design and construction to those used in the coal
trade. They were not only more strongly and carefully built, but, in the interest of faster
trips and easier upstream propulsion, their hulls were modeled fore and aft like a
steamboat hull. When intended to handle grain in bulk or package freights, the model
barge was supplied with a cargo box and roofed over. The tows were smaller than those
in the coal trade and seldom consisted of more than five or six barges (Hunter 1949,
578).
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The model barge as a type had a reputation for being strong, capable, and durable, and they
moved through the water more easily than barges of other designs. During the break-up of the
Mississippi Squadron after the Civil War, model barges specifically were relied upon to
transport heavy mortars on the river. The strong deck beams and planks, hallmarks of model
barge design, were cited by Navy personnel as crucial to the safe transport of heavy and
possibly volatile ordnance (Lee 1865a, 292, 1865b, 297-298).
Operational History of the Wayzata Bay Wreck
St. Paul businessman James J. Hill was familiar with model barges from his work with different
Mississippi River transportation firms in St. Paul. Hill established his warehouse and
transportation agency in February 1866, entering into an agreement with the First Division of
the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad to act as a forwarding and commission agent from his
riverbank warehouse (Articles of Agreement 1866). Pictorial evidence dated to 1868-1870
depicts model barges moored at Hill's warehouse and at other spots along the levee (see
photos). The model barge Wayzata Bay Wreck began its working life under the ownership of
Hill and George S. Acker, operated by their company Hill & Acker. The model barge was
transferred to Hill's subsidiary, the Northwestern Fuel Company, owned by Hill, Acker, and
their partner Edward N. Saunders, in 1877.
Hill partnered with Acker, President of the First Division of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad
(FDStPPR), by May 1875 to expand his business interests west of St. Paul, establishing the
firm of Hill & Acker. Hill & Acker struck a deal with John A. Armstrong in Minneapolis and
together, these men developed a commercial interest in the Lake Minnetonka area. In
December 1875, the large timber stands of 'The Big Woods' came to Hill's attention through
reports from the FDStPPR. These vast tracts of timber were being exploited to produce fuel for
railroad locomotive boilers and for residential consumption between Darwin and Long Lake,
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
12
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
and into Minneapolis and St. Paul (Hill & Acker 1875a, 1875b, 127).
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Beginning in mid-January 1876, Hill & Acker contracted with and searched for bids from
boatwrights to construct wooden barges that would be used to transport cord wood on Lake
Minnetonka. A vague diary entry, kept while Hill was traveling west of the Twin Cities
purchasing cord wood, stated that "Paul began work on wood barges" (Hill 1876a). Two weeks
later, Hill & Acker wrote to J.P. Torrey of Carver requesting a quote because they wanted "to
build one or two barges on Lake Minnetonka this spring and soon will have to begin at it" (Hill &
Acker 1876a, 237). In March, Hill & Acker also sought input about Lake Minnetonka barge
construction from T.J. Patterson of Rockford while the firm decided how many vessels were
required, and how large they needed to be. Hill & Acker, with input from Armstrong, decided
the barges should be 75 feet long and 18 feet in the beam. In the end, Hill & Acker informed
Patterson that they had "contracted with a party for a barge 18 ft by 80 ft over all, to be built
entirely of oak and in good workmanlike manner. Timbers 2 1/2 x 5 with Earth decks & to be
completed & in the water by the 1st day of May 1876 - for $500.0. Please let us know whether
you will take a contract at same figure for same kind of a barge". The aforementioned 'party'
appears to be a man named Walters, but attempts to determine his full name and the location
of his boat building business have not been successful (Hill & Acker 1876b, 303, 1876c, 309,
1876d, 340; Patterson 1876). Therefore, the Wayzata Bay Wreck is the barge constructed by
'Walters' or is another boat of the same description built by Patterson a bit later, if he agreed to
take on the job; no evidence has been found to support this idea. The five foot length
discrepancy between the wreck and the barge built by Walters could be explained by the boat
builder constructing a vessel with an 80 foot keel and an 85 foot long hull. Or, the vessel was
simply constructed to be five feet long than the original specifications; this type of discrepancy
has been seen in the maritime historical record.
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Thousands of cords of maple, oak, and bass wood were being acquired on Lake Minnetonka, a
task undertaken by Hill & Acker agents J.H. Pearl and then Henry C. Carlisle in Mound City on
the Upper Lake beginning in winter 1876. This commodity was banked by several sources for
collection after ice-out and during the summer and autumn. Correspondence mentions
competition by "Germans cutting small Lots of wood for Chaska" and the names of numerous
"Choppers" who were given bank drafts for their efforts and cord wood stores. Various letters
also mentioned particular wood-cutting locations such as Crystal Bay and Starvation Point
(now called Brackett's Point). Pearl and Carlisle also operated stores in Mound City and Maple
Plain to serve Lake Minnetonka area residents, with goods provided by Hill & Acker, and then
Hill, Saunders, & Acker (Pearl 1876a-k; Carlisle 1876).
Additionally, Hill & Acker purchased land on Lake Minnetonka to solidify their lake presence;
whether this land was in Wayzata near the railroad line or somewhere else on the lake has yet
to be determined (Hill & Acker 1876e, 346). Obviously the barges constructed for Hill & Acker
required another boat to move them around Lake Minnetonka. The firm approached boatwright
Josiah Batchelder of Hudson, WI, to build a steamer - a tug boat - for this purpose on site at
the lake (Hill & Acker 1876f, 409, 1876g, 423). Batchelder assured them he could build the
boat in Hudson, and he would "build as cheap and as good a boat as any one. There would be
no trouble in sending such a boat on the cars and I have a shop large enough to build such a
boat in" (Batchelder 1876a, 1876b). Hill & Acker accepted his $500.00 quote to construct a
steamer 40 feet long and 9 feet in the beam and Batchelder agrees to their terms and
specifications (Hill & Acker 1876,h 446; Batchelder 1876c; Hill 1876b). During the construction
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
13
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
of the steamer, Batchelder requested supplies (such as oakum and nails) from Hill & Acker, as
well as two ship carpenters, be sent to Hudson. Batchelder communicated regularly with Hill &
Acker about decking, requested oakum be sent to him, and complained that no carpenters
were coming his way. Regardless of the lack of help, Batchelder completed the steamer by the
end of May and prepared it for shipping on a railroad car to Lake Minnetonka (Batchelder
1876d-f). William J. Sanderson of Syracuse, NY, manufactured the steamer's engine and boiler
to Hill & Acker's specifications (Sanderson 1876a-b), and Batchelder told Hill & Acker he could
get to Lake Minnetonka to help with the machinery installation, but he needed to be paid the
balance on the steamer's hull first (Batchelder 1876g).
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By the end of June 1876, Hill & Acker reported that "Our little boat is launched and ready for
the boiler", and they asked Batchelder if he could travel to Lake Minnetonka to fit out the tug
with its sternpost towing bitts, hatch combing, and cabin roof (Hill & Acker 1876i, 134, 1876j,
148). The tug's name was '76 and she began moving barges around the lake by August 1876.
One interesting incident occurred in mid-August concerning a late train and an on-time tug and
barge. The tug, with a large cargo on its barge, arrived in Wayzata but there was no train
awaiting them. The barge's cargo - cord wood - needed to be off-loaded onto the ground
instead of directly onto a rail car. Armstrong expressed great irritation at the additional time and
labor cost of this extra step in the transfer process; it decreased Hill & Acker's profits
(Armstrong 1876; McGinnis 2010, 1).
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The tug and barge transportation business must have been good because in late August, Hill &
Acker hired John Irish to construct another barge at Wayzata. This boat was of a different
design than the Wayzata Bay Wreck, since it was described as having "a flatboat bow and
stern...Mr. Irish wants all the plank jointed at the Mill before it is shipped - Will you aid him in
selecting what he wants and help hurry it out to Wayzata - Have the barge 19 ft beam & 100 ft
long". This document is helpful since the Hill & Acker partners recognized the difference
between 'flatboat bow and stern' vessels (raked scow ends) and model barges (double pointed
ends). Additionally, while the beam of this barge is close to that of the Wayzata Bay Wreck, the
length of the watercraft is 15 feet longer. In early September 1876, Hill & Acker boasted to
engine and boiler maker Sanderson about the speed his equipment was providing their
enterprise: "We have towed a barge with 50 cds [cords] Maple wood six miles across the Lake
in a few minutes less than an hour and have towed two barges same size loaded at rate of four
to four and half miles an hour" ((Hill & Acker 1876k, 308, 1876l, 324).
In 1877, Hill & Acker became the Northwestern Fuel Company (NFC) when Saunders joined
the company, and the movement of wood across the lake continued. Interestingly, with the
increase in Lake Minnetonka tourism by summer 1878, the NFC equipment was drafted to
assist with pleasure excursions. In early August, "the tug '76 and a large barge were loaned by
the N. W. Fuel Co....the barge had been filled with seats and covered with a roof of green
boughs, which made it comparatively comfortable" (Tourist and Sportsman 8.3.1878) for the
excursionists. A photograph of tug '76 and a squared-ended barge with raked scow ends
exists, with the roof of green boughs clearly seen.
Registration Requirements and Significance
The Wayzata Bay Wreck meets the registration requirements for Criteria C (Archaeology) and
D (Archaeology, Maritime History) as described in the Multiple Property Documentation Form,
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
14
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
"Wrecks and Submerged Cultural Resources of Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota (BC 9500 - AD
1965)". The wreck site is a significant property within the Lake Minnetonka Context – PostContact Period (A.D. 1837 to 1945) – further defined under the Thematic Context of “Railroads
& Agricultural Development (1867-1940),” within Associated Property Type Wooden
Properties: Wrecks, W5.1 Wooden Barges, Identified Wreck Design Model Barge (Merriman
and Olson 2015b). Through the nautical archaeological and maritime historical documentation
of the Wayzata Bay Wreck, this model barge has the status as the type specimen for this
watercraft type in the United States.
Archaeology
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Despite the popularity of model barges in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, there are only
two other known examples of this artifact type in the American archaeological record, located
in 1988 during extreme low water conditions in the Mississippi River in Arkansas. These
wrecks are part of the West Memphis Boat Wrecks Site (3CT243), a group of six wrecks and
other hull pieces that could not be assigned a particular context. Of these six wrecks, two
model barges were designated Vessel No. 1 and Vessel No. 5. The archaeologists
documenting 3CT243 surmised the two models barges might have been part of the US Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) Dredge Fleet headquartered nearby. Their function was to
transport stone for rip rap operations and haul heavy machinery. Vessel No. 1 was considered
to be "in extraordinary shape" for being in a dynamic river environment. None of Vessel No. 1's
deck survived, her gunwale is missing, one end's outer hull planking is gone, but her
stem/stern posts exist and her bottom is intact (Stewart-Abernathy 2002, 172-174; Saltus and
Stewart-Abernathy 2002, 102-118; Stewart-Abernathy and Saltus 2002, 139, 141). Considering
that Vessel No. 1 is in extraordinary condition, the Wayzata Bay Wreck is in superlative
condition, a state that can be attributed to the cold, fresh, relatively non-dynamic water of Lake
Minnetonka.
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The Wayzata Bay Wreck is an exceptional example of American model barge construction, it is
the type specimen. The wreck exhibits all of the nautical structural components one would
expect to find incorporated into a model barge (Criterion C). The presence of the two pointed
ends, double-planked deck, strong thick athwartships deck timbers, H bitts, thick clamps,
heavy cleats, evidence of a hogging truss, and a sturdy gunwale are trademarks of model
barge construction. The builder of the Wayzata Bay Wreck was well-educated in the model
barge type and he was a skilled Minnesota boatwright. The attention to integral details in the
vessel's construction, particularly two strong, thick stems, epitomize in a physical way the
reasons wooden model barges were chosen to work the nations waterways for five decades by
the US Military and the private sector. The builder's workmanship has survived on the bottom
of Lake Minnetonka for over 130 years, providing the only complete example of this watercraft
known to exist in the United States. Further, as the only known intact version of this wreck
type, its survival has yielded information important to nautical archaeology (Criterion D). No
naval architectural plans have survived for wooden model barges. The few photographs of this
watercraft type that have survived often portray examples that carry dry cargo cabins that
obscure many of the vessel's construction attributes. Other images are shown full of cargo on
their decks, again obscuring details of the model barges themselves. Therefore, the Wayzata
Bay Wreck is the only specimen that can be a naval architectural blueprint for the model barge
as a watercraft type. It contributes to our knowledge about Minnesota's and our nation's
maritime history in terms of this type, and can answer all the nautical archaeological questions
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
15
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
as to the construction and design of this watercraft type.
Maritime History
D
The Wayzata Bay Wreck was appropriate for the same type of work - bulk cargo carrying - on
Lake Minnetonka that Vessels No. 1 and 5, mentioned above, performed on the Mississippi
River. The Wayzata Bay Wreck was a tool that participated in the clearance of timber around
Lake Minnetonka. This deforestation supplied fuel in the form of cord wood to operate steam
locomotives and for residential use. Additionally, a secondary consequence of this commercial
activity was the clearing of land for settlement, construction, and farming. Today, for maritime
history, the Wayzata Bay Wreck represents the talent of local boatwrights who had the
engineering knowledge and skills necessary to construct a model barge to particular
specifications. The Wayzata Bay Wreck, as a model barge, has distinctive attributes of the
type; as a type, model barges were significant in American maritime history from 1860-1925. In
the case of the Wayzata Bay Wreck and the maritime history of Lake Minnetonka, 1876-1879
(Criterion C).
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Because of the rarity of model barges in the archaeological record, and the lack of naval
architectural plans that have survived in the historical record, the Wayzata Bay Wreck is a
blueprint that represent model barges and from which a plan can be produced. A new plan for
the model barge type will include all of the construction attributes that cannot be ascertained
from the few historical records and photographs that have survived (Criterion D).
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9. Major Bibliographic References
Bibliography
Armstrong, John A. 1876. Letter to Hill & Acker, 13 August. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota
Historical Society: St. Paul, MN.
Articles of Agreement. 1866, 6 February. First Division of the St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and
James J. Hill. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical Society: St. Paul, MN.
Batchelder, Josiah. 1876a. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. April 16. James J. Hill
Papers: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876b. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. April 20. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876c. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. April 25. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876d. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. May 3. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
16
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
_____. 1876e. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. May 11. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876f. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. May 29. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876g. Letter from Josiah Batchelder to Hill & Acker. June 2. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
Bixby, W. H. 1899. Report of Maj. W.H. Bixby, Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part
3, in Annual Reports of the War Department. Government Printing Office: Washington,
DC.
_____. 1900. Report of Maj. W.H. Bixby, Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part 5, in
Annual Reports of the War Department. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.
D
Carlisle, Henry C. Letter to Hill & Acker, 16 September. James J. Hill Papers: St. Paul, MN.
R
Durham, C.W. 1899. Report of Mr. Durham, Assistant Engineer, on Plant, February 15, Report
of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part 3 in Annual Reports of the War Department.
Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.
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Ernst, O.H. 1884. Improvement of Mississippi River Between the Mouths of the Illinois and Ohio
Rivers in Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, United States Army, to the Secretary
of War, for the Year 1884. Part II. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.
Hall, Henry. 1884. Report on the Ship-Building Industry of the United States. Government
Printing Office: Washington, DC.
Hider, Arthur. 1893. Report of Arthur Hider. Mississippi River Commission, Report of the Chief
of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part 5, in Annual Reports of the War Department. Government
Printing Office: Washington, DC.
_____. 1894. Report of Arthur Hider. Mississippi River Commission, Report of the Chief of
Engineers, U.S. Army, Part 5, in Annual Reports of the War Department. Government
Printing Office: Washington, DC.
_____. 1899. Report of Arthur Hider. Mississippi River Commission, Report of the Chief of
Engineers, U.S. Army, Part 5, in Annual Reports of the War Department. Government
Printing Office: Washington, DC.
Hill, James J.1876a. Diary, 14 January 14. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical Society:
St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876b. Letter to George S. Acker. May 2. James J. Hill Papers: St. Paul, MN.
Hill & Acker. 1875a. Letter to C.M. Underhill, May 3. James J. Hill Papers: St. Paul, MN.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
17
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
_____. 1875b. Letter to E.Q. Sewal, December 20. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers:
St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876a. Letter to J.P. Torrey, 1 February. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876b. Letter to T. Patterson, 7 March. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876c. Letter to T. Patterson, 11 March. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876d. Letter to T.J. Patterson, 17 March. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers:
St. Paul, MN.
D
_____. 1876e. Letter to John A. Armstrong, 21 March. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill
Papers: St. Paul, MN.
R
_____. 1876f. Letter to Josiah Batchelder, 6 April. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers:
St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876g. Letter to Josiah Batchelder, 15 April. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers:
St. Paul, MN.
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_____. 1876h. Letter to Josiah Batchelder, 22 April. Letterpress Book B4. James J. Hill Papers:
St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876i. Letter to Josiah Batchelder, 29 June. Letterpress Book B5. James J. Hill Papers:
St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876j. Letter to Josiah Batchelder, 1 July. Letterpress Book B5. James J. Hill Papers: St.
Paul, MN.
_____. 1876k. Letter to John A. Armstrong, 31 August. Letterpress Book B5. James J. Hill
Papers: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876l. Letter to W.J. Sanderson, 5 September. Letterpress Book B5. James J. Hill
Papers: St. Paul, MN.
Hunter, Louis C. 1949. Steamboats on the Western Rivers: An Economic and Technological
History. Reprint 1977. Dover Publications, Inc.: New York, NY.
Lee, S. P. 1865a. July 15. Letter from Acting Rear Admiral S. P. Lee to Lieutenant-Commander
Cornwell in Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the
Rebellion. Series 1, Vol. 27. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1917.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
18
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
_____. 1865b. July 18. Letter from Acting Rear Admiral S. P. Lee to Pilot French in Official
Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Series 1, Vol.
27. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1917.
List of Merchant Vessels of the United States. 1869. Government Printing Office: Washington,
DC.
Lynch, John William. 1902-1923. J. W. Lynch Journals, 1895-1998. MSS 376, Detre Library and
Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center. Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania:
Pittsburgh, PA. Accessed through Ancestry.com: http://freepages.history.rootsweb.ancestry
.com/~jmohney/index.htm
McGinnis, Scott. 2013. A Directory of Old Boats. Scott D. McGinnis: Chaska, MN.
D
Merrill, William E. 1877. Letters of Major William E. Merrill, Corps of Engineers, July 3, Report of
the Chief of Engineers in Report of the Secretary of War. Vol. II, Part I. Government
Printing Office: Washington, DC.
R
Merriman, Ann, and Christopher Olson. 2012. Lake Minnetonka Survey 1 Project Report.
Maritime Heritage Minnesota: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 2013. Lake Minnetonka Nautical Archaeology 1 Project Report. Maritime Heritage
Minnesota: St. Paul, MN.
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_____. 2014. Lake Minnetonka Nautical Archaeology 3 Project Report. Maritime Heritage
Minnesota: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 2015a. Lake Minnetonka Nautical Archaeology 4 Project Report. Maritime Heritage
Minnesota: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 2015b. Wrecks and Submerged Cultural Resources of Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota (BC
9500 - AD 1965). Multiple Property Documentation Form. Maritime Heritage Minnesota:
St. Paul, MN.
Nolty, August J. 1899. Report of August J. Nolty. Mississippi River Commission, Report of the
Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part 5, in Annual Reports of the War Department.
Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.
_____. 1903. Report of August J. Nolty. Mississippi River Commission, Report of the Chief of
Engineers, U.S. Army, in Annual Reports of the War Department. Government Printing
Office: Washington, DC.
Patterson, T.J. 1876. Letter to Hill & Acker, 14 March. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota
Historical Society: St. Paul, MN.
Pearl, J.H. 1876a. Letter to Hill & Acker, 24 January. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
19
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
_____. 1876b-c. Letter to Hill & Acker, 13 February [2 letters]. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota
Historical Society: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876d. Letter to J.A. Armstrong, 15 February. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876e Letter to Hill & Acker, 17 February. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876f. Letter to J.A. Armstrong, 21 February. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876g Letter to Hill & Acker, 26 February. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
D
_____. 1876h Letter to Hill & Acker, 2 March. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
R
_____. 1876i Letter to Hill & Acker, 9 March. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical Society:
St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876j Letter to Hill & Acker, 6 May. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical Society:
St. Paul, MN.
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_____. 1876k. Letter to Hill & Acker, 28 July. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical Society:
St. Paul, MN.
St. Paul and Minneapolis Pioneer Press. 1879, 1 October.
St. Paul Globe. 1879, 1 October.
Saltus, Jr., Allen, and Leslie C. Stewart-Abernathy. 2002. The Model Barge and Other Vessels
in Ghost Boats on the Mississippi: Discovering Our Working Past. Arkansas
Archeological Survey Popular Series 4: Fayetteville, AR, 102-129.
Sanderson, William J. 1876a. Letter to Hill & Acker, 14 May. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota
Historical Society: St. Paul, MN.
_____. 1876a. Letter to Hill & Acker, 20 May. James J. Hill Papers. Minnesota Historical
Society: St. Paul, MN.
Schofield, J. M. 1868. Letter from the Secretary of War in Vessels Bought, Sold, and Chartered
by the United States. House of Representatives, 20th Congress, 2nd Session, Ex. Doc.
No. 337: Washington, DC, 1-227.
Stewart-Abernathy, Leslie C. 2002. Appendix A. Catalog of Major Wreck Pieces at 3CT243 in
Ghost Boats on the Mississippi: Discovering Our Working Past. Arkansas Archeological
Survey Popular Series 4: Fayetteville, AR, 172-174.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
20
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Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
Stewart-Abernathy, Leslie C., and Allen Saltus, Jr. 2002. Why These Wrecks, Here in Ghost
Boats on the Mississippi: Discovering Our Working Past. Arkansas Archeological Survey
Popular Series 4: Fayetteville, AR, 130-156.
Tourist and Sportsman. 1878. 3 August.
United States Corps of Engineers. 1910. Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part III, in
Annual Reports, War Department. Washington: Government Printing Office.
_____. 1911. Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part III, in Annual Reports, War
Department. Washington: Government Printing Office.
_____. 1912. Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part III, in Annual Reports, War
Department. Washington: Government Printing Office.
D
_____. 1920. Mississippi River Commission, Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, Part
2, in Annual Reports, War Department. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.
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United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
21
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
Previous documentation on file (NPS):
____ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) has been requested
____ previously listed in the National Register
____ previously determined eligible by the National Register
____ designated a National Historic Landmark
____ recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey #____________
____ recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # __________
____ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # ___________
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Primary location of additional data:
____ State Historic Preservation Office
_X _ Other State agency
____ Federal agency
____ Local government
____ University
_X _ Other
Name of repository: Maritime Heritage Minnesota
Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): ________________
Acreage of Property
FT
A
10. Geographical Data
less than 1 acre
(Do not include previously listed resource acreage.)
Use either the UTM system or latitude/longitude coordinates
NAD 1983
1 15
Zone
459368.24
Easting
4979385.01
Northing
2
3
Zone
Easting
Northing
Zone
Easting
Northing
4
Zone
Easting
Northing
Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.)
The area included in the site is a rectangle with pointed ends that is 85-feet feet long down the
midline and 18.5 feet wide.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
22
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.)
The boundary was drawn to encompass the extent of the shipwreck.
11. Form Prepared By
name/title
Ann Merriman, PhD and Christopher Olson, MA
organization
Maritime Heritage Minnesota
street & number
1214 St Paul Avenue
city or town St Paul
e-mail
9.28.2015
telephone
state
MN
651-261-2265
zip code
[email protected]
55116
R
D
FT
A
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
23
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
Additional Documentation
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 2
Page 23
R
D
FT
A
X
The 'X' marks the location of the Wayzata Bay Wreck in Wayzata Bay,
Minnetonka, Minnesota on the USGS map.

United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
24
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Page 24
R
D
FT
A
Profile and site plan sketch of the Wayzata Bay Wreck.
Section number 2
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
25
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 2
Page 25
R
D
FT
A
Example of a model barge, ca. 1875, moored at James J. Hill’s
warehouse on the St. Paul Levee on the Mississippi River.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
26
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
Section number 2
Page 25
R
D
FT
A
Example of loaded a model barge, the James R. Young, at James J.
Hill’s wharf on the Mississippi River, with steamers Diamond Jo and
Canada in the background.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
27
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet - Photographs
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Mark Slick
Date Photographed: June 5, 2015
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: One end - stem - and an H-bitt of the Wayzata Bay Wreck on the bottom
of Lake Minnetonka in 45 feet of water, looking west.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0001.tif)
1 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
28
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Kelly Nehowig
Date Photographed: June 13, 2014
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: One H-bitt on the Wayzata Bay Wreck, looking northeast.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0002.tif)
2 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
29
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Kelly Nehowig
Date Photographed: June 13, 2014
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: One side of the Wayzata Bay Wreck showing the athwartships and
longitudinal decking, gunwale with scarf, and side strakes; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0003.tif)
3 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
30
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Kelly Nehowig
Date Photographed: June 13, 2014
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: A cleat attached to the gunwale of the Wayzata Bay Wreck, with a scarf
to the right and a metal support strap; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0004.tif)
4 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
31
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Kelly Nehowig
Date Photographed: June 13, 2014
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: An open hatch with intact combings on the deck of the Wayzata Bay
Wreck; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0005.tif)
5 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
32
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Mark Slick
Date Photographed: June 5, 2015
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: The deck of the Wayzata Bay Wreck is double planked, with longitudinal
planks below and athwartships planks above, as shown here; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0006.tif)
6 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
33
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Mark Slick
Date Photographed: June 5, 2015
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: The open deck hatches of the Wayzata Bay Wreck afford the opportunity
to see inside the hull in places. Here is seen a clamp supporting deck beams, futtocks (the top
part of frames), , and the double-layered deck is to the left; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0007.tif)
7 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
34
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Mark Slick
Date Photographed: June 5, 2015
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: One of the scarfs joining two timbers that make up part of the gunwale of
the Wayzata Bay Wreck; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0008.tif)
8 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
35
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Kelly Nehowig
Date Photographed: June 13, 2014
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: One of the stems of the Wayzata Bay Wreck; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0009.tif)
9 of 10.
United States Department of the Interior
National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
NPS Form 10-900
36
OMB No. 1024-0018
Wayzata Bay Wreck
Hennepin, Minnesota
Name of Property
County and State
National Register of Historic Places
Continuation Sheet
R
D
FT
A
Name of Property: Wayzata Bay Wreck
City or Vicinity: Minnetonka
County: Hennepin State: Minnesota
Photographer: Mark Slick
Date Photographed: June 5, 2015
Description of Photograph(s) and number, include description of view indicating
direction of camera: One of the stems of the Wayzata Bay Wreck; no direction.
(MN_Hennepin County_Wayzata Bay Wreck_0010.tif)
10 of 10.
Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate
properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a
benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.).
Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 100 hours per response including time for reviewing
instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of
this form to the Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC.