Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Edwin S. Tice
- Type: Steambarge
- Year Built: 1887
- Builder: H.B. & G.B. Burger
- Dimensions: Length 159.9 ft (48.7 m); Beam 32.1 ft (9.8 m); Depth of hold 12.5 ft (3.8 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 728.83 (later reduced to 567.04 in 1915)
- Location: Leathem Smith Quarry (Olde Stone Quarry County Park), Sevastopol, WI
- Official Number: 135954
- Original Owners: W.D. & H.C. Richards; William Mueller Company
- Number of Masts: Three-masted
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Edwin S. Tice was a wooden-hulled steambarge, a common vessel type used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for transporting lumber, coal, and general cargo across the Great Lakes. These ships were often reinforced for ice conditions, and the Tice was specifically built with a steel boiler house, reinforced bow for ice navigation, steam pumps, and a raised forecastle.
Description
Built in 1887 by H.B. & G.B. Burger in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the Edwin S. Tice served in the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior lumber trade. It was originally owned by W.D. & H.C. Richards but changed ownership numerous times throughout its career. The vessel featured a steeple compound steam engine (originally from the 1858-built steamer Susquehanna), providing 450 horsepower at 98 rpm. This was later replaced by a similar engine built by Bay City Iron Works.
The Tice was a three-masted steambarge that primarily hauled lumber and towed other vessels. It was known for assisting ships such as the Oneonta, F.M. Knapp, Kingfisher, William Crosthwaite, and Allegheny. Over the years, it underwent multiple modifications, including changes to its rigging, re-caulking, hull reinforcements, and repairs to its propelling-power space.
In 1901, it was acquired by the William Mueller Company of Chicago, Illinois, and renamed Mueller. By the early 1900s, it had become a common sight on the Georgian Bay–Chicago pulpwood trade route. It frequently towed barges and other vessels, including the Parana, Butcher Boy, Richard Mott, and Belle Brown. Despite its robust design, it suffered numerous groundings, including incidents at Reading Coal Dock (1906), Cherry Island in St. Mary’s River (1906), and Detour, Michigan, in Lake Huron (1929).
History
By 1933, the Mueller was dismantled in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and converted into a barge operated by Roen Steamship Co. in the pulpwood trade, towed by the steamer M.H. Stuart. In September 1933, it burned and sank near the Leathem Smith Quarry (now Olde Stone Quarry County Park), Sevastopol, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan. The vessel was abandoned, and its propeller and shaft remain on display at the park as a historical artifact.
Significant Incidents
- Grounded at Reading Coal Dock in 1906.
- Grounded at Cherry Island in St. Mary’s River in 1906.
- Grounded in Detour, Michigan, in Lake Huron in 1929.
Final Disposition
The remains of the Mueller were never officially salvaged, though its propeller and shaft were recovered and displayed at Olde Stone Quarry County Park in Sevastopol, Wisconsin.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No known navigational hazards associated with this vessel.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”edwin-s-tice-us-135954-mueller” title=”References & Links”]
The Edwin S. Tice/Mueller serves as a classic example of Great Lakes steambarges that played a vital role in lumber and industrial transportation. Despite multiple ownership changes, repairs, and groundings, it remained in service for over four decades before its final demise in 1933. Its propeller and shaft remain as a tangible link to the past, preserving the legacy of wooden steam-powered cargo vessels on the Great Lakes.
Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record
This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.
Steambarge Edwin S. Tice (a.k.a. Mueller)
Source: Burton Collection, Detroit
Name of original file : 140184_140198_F.jp2
Identification & Site Information
- Name: Edwin S. Tice
- Former Name: Mueller (renamed in 1901)
- Official Number: 135954
- Date Built & Launched: August 11, 1887
- Measurements:
- Original: 48.7 m x 9.8 m x 3.8 m (159.9 ft x 32.1 ft x 12.5 ft)
- Re-measured in 1902: 52.4 m x 9.2 m x 3.8 m (172 ft x 30.1 ft x 12.5 ft)
- Final measurement in 1915: 48.8 m x 9.75 m x 3.7 m (160 ft x 32 ft x 12 ft)
- Gross Tonnage: 728.83 (later reduced to 567.04 in 1915)
- Net Tonnage: 578.28 (later reduced to 383 in 1915)
- Cargo Capacity: 550,000 board feet of lumber or 850 gross tons
- Date Lost: September 1933
- Location: Leathem Smith Quarry (Olde Stone Quarry County Park), Sevastopol, WI, Lake Michigan
- Cause: Burned, sank, and abandoned
Vessel Type
The Edwin S. Tice was a wooden-hulled steambarge, a common vessel type used in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for transporting lumber, coal, and general cargo across the Great Lakes. These ships were often reinforced for ice conditions, and the Tice was specifically built with a steel boiler house, reinforced bow for ice navigation, steam pumps, and a raised forecastle.
Description
Built in 1887 by H.B. & G.B. Burger in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, the Edwin S. Tice served in the Lake Michigan and Lake Superior lumber trade. It was originally owned by W.D. & H.C. Richards but changed ownership numerous times throughout its career. The vessel featured a steeple compound steam engine (originally from the 1858-built steamer Susquehanna), providing 450 horsepower at 98 rpm. This was later replaced by a similar engine built by Bay City Iron Works.
The Tice was a three-masted steambarge that primarily hauled lumber and towed other vessels. It was known for assisting ships such as the Oneonta, F.M. Knapp, Kingfisher, William Crosthwaite, and Allegheny. Over the years, it underwent multiple modifications, including changes to its rigging, re-caulking, hull reinforcements, and repairs to its propelling-power space.
In 1901, it was acquired by the William Mueller Company of Chicago, Illinois, and renamed Mueller. By the early 1900s, it had become a common sight on the Georgian Bay–Chicago pulpwood trade route. It frequently towed barges and other vessels, including the Parana, Butcher Boy, Richard Mott, and Belle Brown. Despite its robust design, it suffered numerous groundings, including incidents at Reading Coal Dock (1906), Cherry Island in St. Mary’s River (1906), and Detour, Michigan, in Lake Huron (1929).
Final Disposition
By 1933, the Mueller was dismantled in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and converted into a barge operated by Roen Steamship Co. in the pulpwood trade, towed by the steamer M.H. Stuart. In September 1933, it burned and sank near the Leathem Smith Quarry (now Olde Stone Quarry County Park), Sevastopol, Wisconsin, in Lake Michigan. The vessel was abandoned, and its propeller and shaft remain on display at the park as a historical artifact.
Located By & Date Found
The remains of the Mueller were never officially salvaged, though its propeller and shaft were recovered and displayed at Olde Stone Quarry County Park in Sevastopol, Wisconsin.
Notmars & Advisories
No known navigational hazards associated with this vessel.
Resources & Links
- C. Patrick Labadie Collection (historical documents and photographs)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes (www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca)
- David Swayze Shipwreck File (potential additional historical records)
- Leathem Smith Quarry Park, Sevastopol, WI (location of artifacts)
The Edwin S. Tice/Mueller serves as a classic example of Great Lakes steambarges that played a vital role in lumber and industrial transportation. Despite multiple ownership changes, repairs, and groundings, it remained in service for over four decades before its final demise in 1933. Its propeller and shaft remain as a tangible link to the past, preserving the legacy of wooden steam-powered cargo vessels on the Great Lakes.
edwin-s-tice-us-135954-mueller 1933-09-18 00:43:00
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