Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: John Spry
- Type: Side-wheel steamer (packet/passenger freight)
- Year Built: 1866
- Builder: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
- Dimensions: 92 ft (28 m) long × 15 ft beam × 4 ft depth; 55 GRT
- Registered Tonnage: 55 GRT
- Location: Approximately 3 miles downstream of Wrightstown, Wisconsin
- Official Number: 75599
- Original Owners: Capt. John W. Steinhoff
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Originally constructed as a tug in 1866, she was later converted into a side-wheel packet, carrying passengers and freight along river routes.
Description
The John Spry was a side-wheel steamer that served as a packet and freight vessel. It was built in 1866 and had dimensions of approximately 92 feet in length, 15 feet in beam, and a depth of 4 feet. The vessel was registered at 55 gross tons.
History
She operated primarily in the Fox River/Green Bay region under Hutchings or Steinhoff ownership structures. Capt. John W. Steinhoff owned the vessel, and it was mastered by his son.
Significant Incidents
- On November 4, 1885, while moored overnight near Wrightstown, a fire severely damaged the John Spry, extending to the Hutchings dock and warehouse.
- The conflagration consumed the vessel down to the waterline, inflicting catastrophic damage; the steamer was considered a total loss.
- Aboard at the time was a young boy, rescued by the engineer and placed on a salt-barrel on deck—his fate is uncertain, as “the boy was never seen again” after the fire.
- The fire also heavily damaged adjacent infrastructure—dock and warehouse were burned as well.
- No salvage or rebuilding efforts are mentioned in primary records; the vessel was apparently decommissioned after the event.
Final Disposition
The John Spry was destroyed by fire on November 4, 1885, while docked near Wrightstown, Wisconsin. The blaze consumed the boat and adjacent structures; at least one youth went missing in the confusion, and the steamer was never recovered or rebuilt.
Current Condition & Accessibility
As the vessel was destroyed by fire and not recovered, no physical remains of the John Spry are accessible for diving or exploration.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”john-spry-us-75599″ title=”References & Links”]
This marks the end of her service in Fox River–Green Bay commerce. Additional contemporary records may reveal more about the fire’s cause, the missing boy, and the impact on local traffic and infrastructure.
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.
sidewheel packet / tug converted; side-wheel steamer
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: John Spry
- Official No.: 75599
- Built: 1866 at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin (originally as a tug)
- Type at time of loss: Side-wheel steamer (packet/passage freight)
- Dimensions: ~92 ft long × 15 ft beam × 4 ft depth; 55 GRT
- Owned by: Capt. John W. Steinhoff; Mastered by his son, Capt. [first name not recorded]
- Loss Date: November 4, 1885
- Location: Docked at night, approximately 3 miles downstream of Wrightstown, Wisconsin
- Cargo: None (at dock)
- Casualties: At least one unconfirmed missing youth ([source indicates a boy may have been lost]) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Seeking My Roots)
Incident & Final Disposition
- While moored overnight near Wrightstown, a fire severely damaged the John Spry, extending to the Hutchings dock and warehouse.
- The conflagration consumed the vessel down to the waterline, inflicting catastrophic damage; the steamer was considered a total loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
- Aboard at the time was a young boy, rescued by the engineer and placed on a salt-barrel on deck—his fate is uncertain, as “the boy was never seen again” after the fire (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
- The fire also heavily damaged adjacent infrastructure—dock and warehouse were burned as well.
- No salvage or rebuilding efforts are mentioned in primary records; the vessel was apparently decommissioned after the event.
Vessel Type & Conversion
- Originally constructed as a tug in 1866, she was later converted into a side-wheel packet, carrying passengers and freight along river routes.
- She operated primarily in the Fox River/Green Bay region under Hutchings or Steinhoff ownership structures.
Ancillary Details & Clarifications
- Some later reports suggest conversion to a schooner-barge and then to a propeller tug after her 1885 burn, but these likely refer to a different John Spry vessel also recorded in the Great Lakes database—so this fire in Wrightstown likely ended her service (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files).
- Replacement vessels bearing the same name (such as those later converted to steam lakers) show up in records from the 1890s onward—again, likely different craft.
Research Gaps & Next Steps
- Crew and Boy’s Identity: Investigate local newspaper clippings (Green Bay Herald, Appleton Crescent, Wisconsin State Journal) from early November 1885 for reports on missing persons or rescue details.
- Ownership Records: Verify Capt. John W. Steinhoff paperwork—maritime registrations or probate documents in Brown County archives.
- Docking Site: The precise location (“3 miles below Wrightstown”) could be detected via historic maps (e.g., 1880s Brown County plat maps) to locate “Hutchings dock”.
- Fire Source: Determine if cause (arson, accident) appeared in fire-district reports (Wrightstown or Green Bay Fire Department records, if extant).
Conclusion
The John Spry (built 1866, Official No. 75,599) was destroyed by fire on November 4, 1885, while docked near Wrightstown, Wisconsin. The blaze consumed the boat and adjacent structures; at least one youth went missing in the confusion, and the steamer was never recovered or rebuilt. This marks the end of her service in Fox River–Green Bay commerce. Additional contemporary records may reveal more about the fire’s cause, the missing boy, and the impact on local traffic and infrastructure.
john-spry-us-75599 1885-11-04 23:28:00