Identification & Site Information

• Other Names: E.M.B.A. (renamed in 1924)
• Official Number: 106706
• Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner-Barge, originally built for bulk cargo transport
• Builder: F.W. Wheeler & Company, West Bay City, Michigan
• Year Built: 1890
• Specifications:
• Length: 181 ft (55.2 m)
• Beam: 35 ft (10.7 m)
• Depth: 13.1 ft (4 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 679 tons
• Net Tonnage: 645 tons
• Number of Masts: 2 (Schooner-rigged)
• Original Owner: W.H. Sawyer & Company, Boston, Massachusetts
• Later Owner: Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company (1923)
• National Register Status: Listed

Service History

The A.C. Tuxbury was launched on March 18, 1890, from F.W. Wheeler & Company’s shipyard in West Bay City, Michigan. She was designed as a tow Barge, intended to be towed behind a Steamship while transporting coal, grain, and lumber. Over her 33 years of service, she frequently traveled between Milwaukee, Chicago, Buffalo, Sturgeon Bay, Menominee, and Escanaba, often paired with her sister ship, the C.E. Redfern, and towed by the Steamer W.H. Sawyer.

In 1923, she was sold to the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company and converted into a self-unloading coal Barge. She was renamed E.M.B.A. (short for Employees’ Mutual Benefit Association) and spent nine years lightering coal on the Milwaukee River.

Final Voyage & Scuttling

By 1933, changes in coal delivery methods rendered her obsolete. The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company transitioned to motor trucks for coal transportation, eliminating the 4,700 annual bridge openings the Barge required on the river.

On October 30, 1933, the E.M.B.A. was retired from service and intentionally scuttled in Lake Michigan. She was stripped of valuables, towed offshore, and sunk alongside the Barge Collier.

Wreck Site & Condition Today

The wreck of the E.M.B.A. lies in 170 feet (52 m) of water, about five miles east of Milwaukee’s North Point, near the wreck of the St. Albans.

• The vessel sits upright and is mostly intact, although it suffered damage upon impact with the lake bottom.
• The bow hit first, causing the stem and some framing to collapse, and the steam-powered Windlass fell into the port side of the Forecastle.
• Much of the self-unloading gear remains, along with a vertical steam pump, giving divers a glimpse into early 20th-century coal transportation technology.
• The anchors were removed before scuttling, but the ship remains an excellent deep-water dive site.

Resources & Links

📖 Complete history of the E.M.B.A. and National Register application:
🔗 Maritime History of the Great Lakes – E.M.B.A.

Conclusion

The A.C. Tuxbury / E.M.B.A. was a hardworking cargo vessel that adapted to changing maritime demands throughout her career. From a Great Lakes Schooner-Barge to a self-unloading coal vessel, she served for over four decades before being scuttled. Today, her remarkably intact wreck remains an important piece of maritime history, offering both historical value and an exciting dive site for underwater explorers.

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