William P. Rend shipwreck: A link in Davidson-related Archaeology and Historical Research

Summary

Shipbuilder James Davidson was well-known for building high-quality, goliath vessels that could carry extremely heavy cargoes in the Great Lakes. He was regarded as one of the stalwart holdouts in the wooden shipbuilding industry who operated an extensive fleet of steamers and schooner barges under the flag of the Davidson Steamship Company. A study of the shipwreck, William P. Rend, built in 1888 and lost in 1917 in Lake Huron, adds to a growing body of Davidson archaeological research yielding information about a combination of traditional, changing and adaptive construction techniques. In particular, the ways in which iron was incorporated into the design suggests that Davidson was experimenting with composite construction, rather than pushing the envelope with large wooden steamship innovations. Rend can be viewed as a significant historical link to the Alpena Portland Cement Company (today La Farge) an integral part of Alpena’s industrial growth since 1899.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Steamboat Archaeology in North America   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-44,11