Identification & Site Information

• Name: MARY MILLS
• Former Names: None reported
• Official Number: 90493
• Date Built and Launched: July 13, 1872
• Builder: Philander Lester
• Construction Location: Vicksburg (Marysville), Michigan
• Homeport: Various throughout her career (Port Huron, Marine City, Menominee, Milwaukee, etc.)
• Final Owners: John Bolton & M. Bilty Lumber Co., Milwaukee, WIVessel Type: Wooden Steambarge (Bulk Freight Carrier)
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Power: Screw Propeller, Steam-Driven
• Engine:
• Type: high-pressure steam engine
• Manufacturer: D. Bell Engine Works, Buffalo, NY (1872)
• Specs: 16″ x 20″ cylinder, 210 HP @ 120 RPM
• Boiler: 6′ x 12′ Firebox Boiler
• Measurements:
• Length: 113.2 ft (34.5 m)
• Beam: 23.6 ft (7.2 m)
• Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 119.59 tons
• Net Tonnage: 88 tons
• Capacity: 210,000 board feet of lumber
• Final Cargo: Hay (when lost in 1900)

Vessel Type

The MARY MILLS was a wooden-hulled steambarge, a common type of vessel on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century. Steambarges were steam-powered cargo carriers designed primarily for:

• Transporting lumber, coal, and other bulk goods
• Towing barges to increase cargo capacity
• Navigating rivers, harbors, and open lake waters

Unlike traditional sailing schooners, steambarges had greater reliability, making them crucial to the lumber and transportation industries on the Great Lakes.

History

The MARY MILLS operated for 28 years, undergoing multiple rebuilds, ownership transfers, and mechanical upgrades, before meeting its end in a fire in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1900.

Key Events in the Vessel’s History:

• July 13, 1872: Launched at Vicksburg (Marysville), Michigan, built by Philander Lester.
• August 7, 1872: Enrolled at Port Huron, Michigan.
• 1874: Rebuilt at Marine City, MI; boiler replaced by Philbrook & Christie, Detroit.
• 1878: Used as an excursion boat before returning to freight service.
• 1881-1883: Active in the Alpena cedar post trade and Oscoda-Cleveland lumber trade.
• 1886: Machinery removed and replaced with an engine from the Steamer G.P. HEATH in Manitowoc, WI.
• 1893: Rebuilt again in Ahnapee, WI and enrolled at Superior, WI.
• 1898, May 5: Collided with a dump scow owned by Starke Dredge Co.
• 1898, July 14: Burned while loaded with coal at Jones Island, Milwaukee, WI.
• 1898, September: Seized by U.S. Marshals in Milwaukee due to the May collision incident.
• 1899, August 14: Sold to John Bolton & M. Bilty Lumber Co., Milwaukee.

Final Disposition

The MARY MILLS was lost on December 11, 1900, when it caught fire in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, while loaded with hay.

The Disaster

• The vessel was moored in Sturgeon Bay Harbor, Lake Michigan, when a fire broke out on board.
• The flames spread rapidly, consuming both the vessel and its cargo of hay.
• The nearby dock and a warehouse also caught fire and were destroyed.
• The MARY MILLS was declared a Total Loss and never Rebuilt.

Despite surviving multiple collisions, fires, and ownership changes, the MARY MILLS ultimately met its end due to fire, a common cause of loss for wooden steambarges.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the MARY MILLS‘s wreck remains being discovered or documented near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Since it burned to a Total Loss in a harbor, any remains were likely removed or destroyed in the aftermath of the fire.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Nil return. No modern navigational hazards related to this wreck are reported near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan.

Resources & Links

• Historical Databases:
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Great Lakes Shipwreck File
• Local Archives:
• Door County Maritime Museum (Sturgeon Bay, WI) (May have fire and shipyard records)
• Wisconsin Maritime Museum (Shipwreck history)

Conclusion

The MARY MILLS was a hardworking steambarge that endured 28 years of service, surviving multiple collisions, ownership changes, and even a previous fire, before being destroyed in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1900. Its loss highlights the dangers of wooden steamships, which were highly susceptible to fire, especially when carrying combustible cargo like coal or hay.