Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Francis R. Anderson
- Type: Wooden fish tug
- Year Built: 1885
- Builder: Smith, Chicago, Illinois
- Dimensions: 95 ft (28.9 m) × 15.0 ft (4.6 m) × 6.2 ft (1.9 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 30.81 gross tons
- Location: Bayfield Harbor, Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior
- Coordinates: N 46° 48.634′, W 090° 48.746′
- Official Number: 120621
- Original Owners: Booth Fisheries; Booth & Company; Booth Packing Company; A. Booth & Sons
- Number of Masts: N/A
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Francis R. Anderson was a wooden-hulled steam fish tug, designed for net setting, fish hauling, and transport in rough weather.
Description
The Francis R. Anderson was built in 1885 and originally measured 75.6 feet in length. By 1895, the vessel was lengthened to 95 feet. It served as part of the Booth Fisheries fleet, a significant player in the commercial fishing industry on the Great Lakes during the late 19th century.
History
By 1892, the Francis R. Anderson was transferred to Ashland, Wisconsin, and operated under Booth & Company. It was recorded under Booth Packing Company ownership by 1895. There are accounts of Captain Lindquist managing the vessel around 1889, although there is some uncertainty regarding the spelling of the name as Frances.
Significant Incidents
- Abandoned at dock around 1910, left to deteriorate.
Final Disposition
The tug was abandoned at Bayfield, Wisconsin, and left to deteriorate, eventually becoming buried beneath sand at the public beach area. The hull was not scuttled but succumbed to neglect.
Current Condition & Accessibility
The vessel remains buried beneath shoreline sediments at Bayfield, Wisconsin. No archaeological excavation has been conducted, and it is not accessible for diving.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”francis-r-anderson-us-120621″ title=”References & Links”]
The Francis R. Anderson serves as a reminder of the rich maritime history of the Great Lakes, despite its current state of neglect and burial beneath the sands of Bayfield beach.
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.
Identification Card (Site Style)
Description
The Francis R. Anderson was a wooden-hulled steam fish tug built in Chicago in 1885 by shipbuilder Smith. Originally 75.6 feet long, the vessel was lengthened to 95 feet by 1895. She served as part of the Booth Fisheries fleet, a dominant commercial fishing and distribution enterprise on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century. Fish tugs of this type were sturdy working boats, often with enclosed cabins, designed for net setting, fish hauling, and transport in rough weather.History
By 1892, the Francis R. Anderson was transferred from Manistique, Michigan, to Ashland, Wisconsin, and placed in service on Lake Superior under Booth & Company. She is recorded in Booth Packing Company ownership by 1895. Contemporary sources also note her under the care of Captain Lindquist in Escanaba, Michigan, around 1889, who managed the vessel for A. Booth & Sons — though these accounts spell the name as Frances rather than Francis, raising uncertainty whether this reflects the same vessel or clerical error.Final Disposition
The tug was abandoned at Bayfield, Wisconsin, around 1910, moored at the foot of Washington Avenue. Left to deteriorate, she was gradually covered by shifting sand and is today buried beneath the public beach area, invisible from the surface. The hull was not deliberately scuttled; rather, it succumbed to neglect after her working life ended.Located By & Date Found
Known since the time of abandonment. Site lies buried beneath shoreline sediments at Bayfield, Wisconsin. No archaeological excavation has been conducted.Notmars & Advisories
No navigational hazard — wreck lies beneath shoreline sand at Bayfield beach.Dive Information
Access: Not a dive site — vessel remains are buried beneath sand Entry Point: Bayfield public beach, foot of Washington Avenue Conditions: Submerged undershore sediments; inaccessible Depth Range: Shallow, <10 ft (3 m) Emergency Contacts: USCG Station Bayfield Permits: Required for excavation under Wisconsin state law Dive Support: Not applicableCrew & Casualty Memorials
No casualties. No known memorials associated with the vessel.Documented Statements & Extracts
“The tug was simply left to rot earlier in the century at a Bayfield dock. She sat at the foot of Washington Avenue where today there is a public beach. The old fishing boat is nowhere in sight, however, having been completely covered by sand a short distance from shore.” — James M. Keller, *The Unholy Apostles: Tales of Chequamegon Shipwrecks*.
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
Official No. 120621. Built Chicago, 1885. Registered to Booth & Company by 1892. Recorded as Booth Packing Company property by 1895. No surviving insurance records located. Lengthened between 1892–1895 from 75.6 ft to 95 ft.Site Documentation & Imaging
The vessel is buried beneath sand at Bayfield public beach, Washington Avenue. No underwater survey or archaeological study has been conducted. No imaging available.Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Wisconsin Historical Society – Maritime Collections
- Keller, James M. *The Unholy Apostles: Tales of Chequamegon Shipwrecks*
References
- Official U.S. Vessel Registry No. 120621 (Francis R. Anderson).
- Keller, James M. *The Unholy Apostles: Tales of Chequamegon Shipwrecks*.
- Memorial Record of the Northern Peninsula of Michigan (reference to Captain Lindquist and A. Booth & Sons).