Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: J.W. EVISTON
- Type: Wooden-hulled propeller-driven fish tug
- Year Built: 1872
- Builder: McClelland, Milwaukee, WI
- Dimensions: 50 × 12 × 4 ft (15.2 × 3.7 × 1.2 m); 16 gross / 12 net tons
- Registered Tonnage: 16 gross / 12 net tons
- Location: Duluth Harbor, Lake Superior
- Official Number: 075723
- Original Owners: Adaline Smith of Duluth, Minnesota
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
A compact wooden steam-powered fish tug designed for charter fishing or ice-breaking, typical of late 19th-century Great Lakes commercial craft.
Description
At just 15 m in length, J.W. Eviston was a nimble workboat with a steam engine driving a single propeller. Built in Milwaukee, she was later based in Duluth, operating under private ownership.
History
Constructed in 1872, the tug served small-scale commercial or fishing operations on the upper lakes. On 20 July 1897, while in her home port of Duluth, she erupted into fire and burned to the waterline—suffering total loss. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Contemporaneous accounts, including in period vessel-loss lists and the History of the Great Lakes, confirm the event as a notable local incident of that summer.
Significant Incidents
- Fire incident on 20 July 1897 in Duluth Harbor leading to total loss.
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss after the fire, the vessel sank on-site in Duluth Harbor. No salvage was recorded; her remains (hull fragments or debris) likely remained near or under the dock.
Current Condition & Accessibility
Nil return. No known underwater investigation or wreck survey has identified her remains.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”j-w-eviston-us-75723″ title=”References & Links”]
J.W. EVISTON, a small wooden propeller fish tug built in 1872, was destroyed by fire in Duluth Harbor on 20 July 1897. She was a total loss, with no reported casualties, and remains unlocated today—likely resting in shallow, harbor-adjacent waters.
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.
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: J. W. EVISTON
- Official Number: 75723 (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Vessel Type: Wooden-hulled propeller-driven fish tug
- Built: 1872, by McClelland, Milwaukee, WI (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Dimensions: 50 × 12 × 4 ft (15.2 × 3.7 × 1.2 m); 16 gross / 12 net tons (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Power: Steam engine propelling a single screw propeller
- Owners: Adaline Smith of Duluth, Minnesota (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- Date Lost: 20 July 1897
- Location of Loss: Duluth Harbor, Lake Superior (en.wikipedia.org)
Vessel Type
A compact wooden steam-powered fish tug designed for charter fishing or ice-breaking, typical of late‑19th-century Great Lakes commercial craft.
Description
At just 15 m in length, J.W. Eviston was a nimble workboat with a steam engine driving a single propeller. Built in Milwaukee, she was later based in Duluth, operating under private ownership.
History
Constructed in 1872, the tug served small-scale commercial or fishing operations on the upper lakes. On 20 July 1897, while in her home port of Duluth, she erupted into fire and burned to the waterline—suffering total loss. Fortunately, no casualties were reported (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).
Contemporaneous accounts, including in period vessel-loss lists and the History of the Great Lakes, confirm the event as a notable local incident of that summer .
Final Disposition
Declared a total loss after the fire, the vessel sank on-site in Duluth Harbor. No salvage was recorded; her remains (hull fragments or debris) likely remained near or under the dock.
Located By & Date Found
Nil return. No known underwater investigation or wreck survey has identified her remains.
Notations & Advisories
- No navigational hazards currently charted near Duluth Harbor relate to her sinking.
- Wreck likely lies shallowly submerged at or near her mooring location in Duluth.
Resources & Links
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files entry: J.W. Eviston details (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com)
- 1897 vessel-loss listing for 25 July confirming destruction in Duluth Harbor (en.wikipedia.org)
- History of the Great Lakes reference stating “Tug J. W. Eviston burned at Duluth” (linkstothepast.com)
Conclusion
J.W. EVISTON, a small wooden propeller fish tug built in 1872, was destroyed by fire in Duluth Harbor on 20 July 1897. She was a total loss, with no reported casualties, and remains unlocated today—likely resting in shallow, harbor-adjacent waters.
Archival & Further Research
- Retrieve Duluth newspaper articles from July–August 1897 for eye-witness reports.
- Explore Duluth maritime or Coast Guard logs for fire incident files.
- Contact Lake Superior maritime archives (e.g., Duluth Maritime Museum) for enrollment, crew, or mooring records.