Minneapolis

The Minneapolis is a wooden steam freighter lying off the main south tower of the Mackinac Bridge, about 500 ft (150 m) to the southwest, at depths from 90 to 125 ft (27 to 38 m). She sits upright facing southwest and mostly intact, and the site is for advanced divers.

Built in 1873 at Marine City, Michigan, she began as a passenger ship and was later converted to carry bulk cargo. In April 1894 she left Chicago loaded with wheat and towing two schooner-barges for Buffalo. On the early morning of April 4 a strong gale was pushing ice floes through the Straits. The mate noticed her steering was slow, then found she was taking water fast, which put her boilers out and crippled the bilge pumps. The crew boarded one of the schooner-barges before she went down, and no lives were lost.

The engine, boilers and forward decks are still in place, the bow is open, and the stern rail is intact. The rudder lies on the bottom alongside the propeller. There is frequently a strong and sometimes confusing current.