U.S.S. Michigan/Wolverine
Erie, Erie County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
U.S.S. MICHIGAN, the U.S. Navy’s first iron-hulled vessel, was assembled and launched near this site on December 5, 1843. Iron components were fabricated in Pittsburgh, PA and shipped overland to Erie. Renamed WOLVERINE in 1905, the 163 ft. steam-powered paddle frigate remained active as a Navy patrol and training vessel until 1912. She then served as part of the Pennsylvania Naval Militia until 1923. Known as the “Guardian of the Great Lakes.”
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On December 5, 1843, the U.S. Navy launched its first iron-hulled vessel near this Erie shoreline—an experiment in a new material at a moment when wooden ships still ruled the seas. Her iron components were forged in Pittsburgh and hauled overland to the lakeshore, then assembled into a 163-foot steam-powered paddle frigate. Renamed Wolverine in 1905, she patrolled and trained sailors on the Great Lakes into the twentieth century, earning the nickname "Guardian of the Great Lakes."
Why it matters
The Michigan marks the U.S. Navy's leap from wood to iron, a turning point in American industrial and maritime power staged on the inland seas rather than the ocean.
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