About Who's Been Here Photos Revisions David W. Mills Oswego, NY More Info Max Depth: 16-20ft/5-6m Average Viz: 41-50ft/12-15m Entry Type: Boat Bottom Composition: Rock Aquatic Life: Plenty To See Rating: 4.00 by 1 divers Spring: 56-60°F/13-16°C Summer: 71-75°F/22-24°C Fall: 61-65°F/16-18°C Winter: Under 50°F/10°C 8/07/2009 6:27 PM

David W. Mills is a boat accessible fresh water dive site, located in Oswego, NY. This dive site has an average rating of 4.00 out of 5 from 1 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 16-20ft/5-6m. The average visibility is 41-50ft/12-15m.

The David W. Mills was a typical Great Lakes cargo vessel of the late 19th century. Measuring 202 feet by 34 feet by 13 feet, this wooden “steambarge” could carry over one million board feet of lumber. Built by Thomas Quayle and Sons Shipyard, the vessel was originally named
Sparta and was launched at Cleveland, Ohio on April 11, 1874. The vessel was renamed in 1910 after the manager of the Port Huron Navigation Company, the firm that owned the ship. Captain Frank J. Peterson bought the Mills in 1919.

The Mills ran aground on Ford Shoals on August 11, 1919 in dense smog created by forest fires in Canada. Attempts to free the boat failed and it broke apart during a violent October storm.

From 1991 to 1994, the wreck site was mapped by the Oswego Maritime Foundation (OMF). On May 3, 2000, the Mills was designated as New York State’s first Submerged Cultural Preserve and Dive Site in Lake Ontario. A mooring buoy is provided from late May through
mid-October for easy access by divers, snorkelers, and boaters. Please direct comments, reports of damage, or buoy problems to OMF at 315.342.5753.

N43.26.555 W076.35.094