John D. Dewar – Lake Michigan Steamer Shipwreck (1921)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: John D. Dewar
• Type: Steam Screw (Wooden Hull)
• Year Built: 1885
• Builder: A. Betters
• Dimensions: Length: 72 ft (21.95 m); Beam: 15.5 ft (4.72 m); Depth of hold: 7 ft (2.13 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 52 tons
• Location: Milwaukee Outer Harbor, Wisconsin
• Coordinates: Latitude: 43° 00.895′ N; Longitude: 87° 53.001′ W
• Official Number: 76571
• Original Owners: Duncan Dewar, Henry F. Robertson, Katherine Murphy, J. E. Murphy, among others
• Number of Masts: None

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Class: Steam Screw (Wooden Hull)
• Use: Small package freight and passenger/excursion steamer
• Propulsion: Single steam screw, wood-fired boiler
• Number of Masts: None

Description

The John D. Dewar was a small wooden excursion steamer designed for package freight, fruit transport, and passenger service along the eastern and western shores of Lake Michigan. Built in 1885 at Ludington, Michigan by A. Betters, she was:

• Rated A2 in 1887
• Valued at $8,000
• Powered by a single screw steam engine, later removed after sinking

During her operational years, the Dewar frequently made short runs between Manistee, Onekama, Arcadia, and Frankfort, providing local passenger and freight service.

History

• 1885 – Launch: Built for Duncan Dewar of Ludington, MI
• 1887 – Registry: U.S. Registry No. 76571; A2 rated
• 1892 – Excursion Service: Purchased by Henry F. Robertson, who operated daily runs to northern Michigan lake ports
• Multiple Ownerships: At least 10 owners during her 36-year career
• 1920: Owned by Katherine Murphy, Sturgeon Bay; final owner J. E. Murphy, Chicago

The Dewar became part of Chicago’s excursion and municipal pier fleet, working alongside the steamer Hazel for seasonal passenger traffic.

Significant Incidents

• Date of Sinking: September 19–20, 1921
• Cause: Sprang a leak while under tow from Chicago to Sturgeon Bay for repairs and refit
• Tow Vessel: Tug Silver Spray #116676 (reports also mention Hazel assisting)
• Location of Loss: Behind Milwaukee’s breakwater, outer harbor
• Salvage:
  • Engine and boiler removed
  • Wrecking barge Advance (L.D. Smith Dock Co.) with diver Perl Purdy attempted further recovery but abandoned operations due to depth and wreck orientation
• Abandonment: Officially listed as abandoned in Merchant Vessel records, 1923
• Destruction: Upper works burned after machinery removal

Final Disposition

• Current Location: Milwaukee Outer Harbor, exact hull location undetermined
• Discovery Attempts:
  • No fully verified modern dive or sonar documentation
  • Hull likely scattered or buried under harbor silt due to 1920s wrecking and burning

Current Condition & Accessibility

• None currently noted; wreck considered non-navigational hazard

Resources & Links

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The John D. Dewar represents a small but significant class of late 19th-century Great Lakes excursion and freight steamers, which were critical to short-haul commerce and passenger traffic before the dominance of rail and automobile travel.

While largely forgotten, her final resting place in Milwaukee’s harbor remains part of the city’s submerged maritime heritage, and any future sonar or diver surveys may confirm whether her wooden hull survives beneath harbor sediment.