Schooner Two Friends (*Later Pewaukee)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: Two Friends (later renamed Pewaukee)
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: 71279
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden Schooner (later converted to steambarge, then towbarge)
• Builder: Lemuel McDermond, Port Burwell, Ontario
• Year Built & Launched: 1873
• Specifications: Length: 134 ft (40.8 m) Beam: 25.5 ft (7.8 m) Depth: 12.5 ft (3.8 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 362.2 GT
• Number of Decks: 1
• Number of Masts: 3

Ownership & Early Service

• 1873: Built by Lemuel McDermond in Port Burwell, Ontario.
• 1875-1877: Owned by George Suffel, Vienna, Ontario.
• •880: Transferred to Acheson & Co., Goderich, Ontario.

First Major Incident – 1880 Storm & Salvage

On October 16, 1880, the Two Friends was caught in the same violent storm that sank the Steamer Alpena. The Schooner was driven ashore near North Bay, Wisconsin, on the Door Peninsula.  Her crew took refuge in the rigging until local fishermen rescued them. The vessel was damaged but not completely destroyed. In 1881, the Tug Leviathan successfully released her from the reef.

Rebuild & Renaming as Pewaukee

• 1881: The damaged Two Friends was sold to James K. Oswald, a Montreal insurance agent.
• 1881, August 4: Rebuilt at Wolf & Davidson’s dry dock in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
• 1881, August 25: Renamed Pewaukee and re-registered in the U.S. (Official No. 150233).
• 1887, October 26: Stranded on Detroit Island Reef near Washington Island, Wisconsin. Declared a Total Loss and Abandoned to underwriters. However, she was salvaged again.
• 1888: Converted to a steam Schooner with a Tug engine and boiler installed at Manitowoc, WI.
• 1889: Rig officially changed to steambarge.
• 1897: Further converted to an unrigged towbarge at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.
• 1907: Machinery removed and repurposed solely as a Barge.

Final Fate – Burned & Used as Breakwater

October 10, 1907: Burned to a Total Loss at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.  1912: Moved to Leathem & Smith’s “boneyard”. October 30, 1913: Raised and placed as Breakwater at Leathem & Smith’s Sturgeon Bay quarry. November 10, 1913: Enrollment officially surrendered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Final Disposition & Wreck Status

The remains of the Pewaukee (formerly Two Friends) still exist as part of the Breakwater structure at Leathem & Smith quarry, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Portions of the Hull may be visible in low water conditions.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, has several Breakwater structures made from Abandoned Great Lakes vessels. The wreckage is not considered a hazard to navigation but is part of historical shipwreck preservation efforts.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
• Great Lakes Maritime Database (GLMD): https://greatlakeships.org
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels

Conclusion

The Two Friends had an eventful career, surviving multiple groundings and rebuilds, and transitioning from a sailing Schooner to a steam-powered Barge. Her final chapter as the Pewaukee ended when she burned in 1907. Instead of being scrapped, she was repurposed as a Breakwater in Sturgeon Bay, where she remains today as part of Wisconsin’s maritime history.