44°54′6″N 82°44′22″W / 44.90167°N 82.73944°W
 Empire State, a paddle steamer of a similar age and size to Keystone State
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| History | |
|---|---|
.svg){kind=small} United States | |
| Name | Keystone State |
| Namesake | A nickname for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
| Owner |
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| Port of registry | Presque Isle, Pennsylvania |
| Builder | Bidwell & Banta of Buffalo, New York |
| Launched | November 11, 1848 |
| In service | May 1849 |
| Out of service | November 9 or 10, 1861 |
| Fate | Sank in a storm on Lake Huron |
| Wreck discovered | July 2013 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Paddle steamer |
| Tonnage | 1,354 GRT |
| Length | 288 feet (87.8 m) |
| Beam |
|
| Depth | 14 feet (4.3 m) |
| Installed power |
|
| Propulsion | 2 × paddle wheels almost 40 feet (12.2 m) in diameter |
| Capacity |
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PS Keystone State (also spelled Key Stone State) was a wooden-hulled American paddle steamer in service between 1849 and 1861. She was built in 1848 in Buffalo, New York, by Bidwell & Banta for ship-owner Charles M. Reed of Erie, Pennsylvania, and operated as part of his "Chicago Line". A luxuriously furnished palace steamer, she operated between Buffalo and Chicago, Illinois, while also making stops at various other ports. She was built for the passenger and package freight trade, frequently carrying both wealthy passengers and European immigrants who desired to settle in the Midwestern United States. Due to the Panic of 1857, Keystone State and several other paddle steamers were laid up. When the American Civil War began in 1861; she was refurbished, and put back into service.
On November 8, 1861, Keystone State left Detroit for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, under the command of Captain Wilkes Travers. Although her cargo manifest listed her cargo as farm machinery, it was rumored that this was a cover for military supplies and gold. She was last seen off Port Austin, Michigan, struggling in a storm, and eventually sank with the loss of all 33 people on board. Keystone State's fate was unknown for over a week, until pieces of wreckage washed ashore.
The location of Keystone State's wreck remained a mystery for 151 years, until it was found in July 2013 by shipwreck hunter David Trotter. The wreck rests in nearly 175 feet (53.3 m) of water northeast of Harrisville, Michigan, about 40 to 50 miles (64.4 to 80.5 km) from where Keystone State was last seen afloat.