Shipwreck Report: Sidewheel Steamer Sheboygan (1869–1914)

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: Sheboygan
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: Unknown
• Vessel Type: Sidewheel Steamer (Passenger & Packet Freight)
• Built: 1869, Greenleaf S. Rand Shipyard, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
• Final Location: Maritime Bay, near Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan
• Date Lost: September 28, 1914
• Cause: Deliberate Scuttling – Burned & Beached
• Final Cargo: None (Vessel Stripped Prior to Destruction)
• Loss of Life: None
• Specifications Hull Material: Wood
• Propulsion: Sidewheel, Steam-powered
• Builder: Greenleaf S. Rand Shipyard, Manitowoc, WI (merged with H. Burger Shipyard in 1870 to form Rand & Burger Shipyard)
• Owner: Goodrich Transportation Company (operated for 45 years)
• Service Area: Wisconsin’s western Lake Michigan shoreline, operating between ports such as Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Chicago

Operational History

The Sheboygan was one of the most elegant and comfortable sidewheel steamers of its era, designed for both passenger service and package freight transport. Built in 1869 for the Goodrich Transportation Company, the vessel became a well-known Steamer on Lake Michigan, regularly running routes between Chicago, Milwaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and other Wisconsin ports.

The vessel frequently operated under tow by the Goodrich Tug Arctic.  Over its 45-year career, Sheboygan experienced multiple groundings, collisions, and other incidents, typical of early Great Lakes steamers One notable collision occurred in October 1869, when Sheboygan struck and sank the Tug Preston Brearly just outside Chicago Harbor. Despite its long history of service, by 1914, the aging wooden Steamer was no longer viable for Goodrich’s fleet, which was transitioning to larger steel-hulled vessels.

Final Disposition & Scuttling (September 28, 1914)

• After being laid up in Manitowoc for several years, the decision was made to retire and dispose of the vessel.On September 28, 1914, the Sheboygan was towed out of Manitowoc Harbor by the Goodrich Tug Arctic.The vessel was taken 1–2 miles north to the company’s “shipwreck graveyard” in Maritime Bay.
• Once beached in shallow water, Sheboygan was stripped of its machinery and valuable components. That evening, the vessel was deliberately set on fire, burning to the waterline overnight. Large crowds gathered along the Manitowoc shoreline to watch the historic vessel burn, marking the end of an era for the Goodrich fleet.
• Wreck Site and Potential Remains  Location: Maritime Bay, near Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Lake Michigan (Approx. 1–2 miles north of the harbor)
•  Current Condition: The Sheboygan burned to the waterline, meaning that only the lower Hull and submerged structural elements likely remain. The wreckage has not been definitively located, but pieces of the vessel may still be buried beneath the sands of the bay.  A few potential targets have been identified via Google Earth, though no full archaeological investigation has been conducted yet.
• Future Exploration & Research: Upcoming sanctuary projects hope to investigate the area with side-scan sonar to locate the wreck’s remains.  If additional wreckage is found, it will be documented and evaluated for identification.

Legacy and Significance

• A Symbol of the Golden Age of Sidewheel Steamers  The Sheboygan was one of the last major sidewheel steamers operated by Goodrich Transportation, marking the end of the wooden Steamer era on Lake Michigan. Her elegance and comfort made her a favorite among passengers, representing a time when travel by Steamer was the fastest and most luxurious way to move between Great Lakes ports.
• A Long & Eventful Career Operating for 45 years (1869–1914), the Sheboygan had one of the longest service records of any Goodrich Steamer.  She survived multiple groundings and collisions, including sinking the Tug Preston Brearly in 1869.
• An Unmarked Shipwreck Graveyard in Manitowoc The Goodrich “shipwreck graveyard” in Maritime Bay remains an important but underexplored site. If remains of the Sheboygan are found, they could provide insight into the construction and dismantling of early sidewheel steamers.
• Public Interest & Historic Imagery The spectacle of the Sheboygan burning near Manitowoc Harbor was widely covered in newspapers. The event was witnessed by many spectators, making it one of the most publicly observed ship disposals on Lake Michigan.

Further Research and Resources

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca Includes records of Great Lakes passenger steamers and Goodrich Transportation history.
• Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin/Current efforts to map and document wrecks in the Manitowoc area.
• Bowling Green State University – Historical Collections of the Great Lakes https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/ Archival images and documents related to the Sheboygan.
• Manitowoc Maritime Museum May hold records, artifacts, or local accounts of the Sheboygan’s final days.
• Thunder Bay Research Collection (C. Patrick Labadie Archive)
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Preserves historical photographs and documents related to the vessel.

Conclusion

The Sheboygan was one of the last great sidewheel steamers of the Goodrich Transportation fleet, serving passengers and cargo along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan shoreline for 45 years. After being retired in 1914, she was beached, stripped, and burned in Maritime Bay, marking a dramatic and symbolic end to an era of wooden Steamship travel.

Though her wreck has yet to be conclusively located, ongoing maritime archaeology projects may soon uncover her remains, preserving her legacy as a historic Lake Michigan Steamer.