Shotline Diving

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Knight Templar US 14495

Explore the remains of the Knight Templar, a 19th-century wooden steam tug, abandoned in Milwaukee’s Kinnickinnic River.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

  • Name: Knight Templar
  • Type: wooden steam screw tug
  • Year Built: 1890
  • Builder: Wolf & Davidson
  • Dimensions: Length 62.1 ft (18.9 m); Beam 16.7 ft (5.1 m); Depth of hold 7.4 ft (2.26 m)
  • Registered Tonnage: 38.00 GRT
  • Location: Kinnickinnic River, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
  • Coordinates: N 43° 00.506′ W 87° 54.480′
  • Official Number: 14495
  • Original Owners: F. C. Maxon (original), Edward E. Gillen Towing Company (final)
  • Number of Masts: No masts; fully steam-powered

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The Knight Templar was a wooden steam screw tug designed for local towing and scow service, characterized by her compact hull and shallow draft suitable for operation in confined rivers and harbors.

Description

The Knight Templar was a small wooden harbor tug designed for local towing and scow service. Her compact hull and shallow draft allowed for operation in the confined rivers and inner harbor of Milwaukee. Key characteristics:

  • Wooden hull with moderate tumblehome typical of 19th-century Great Lakes tugs
  • Single-screw steam propulsion with a Milwaukee-built high-pressure engine
  • No masts; fully steam-powered
  • Primarily employed for harbor and barge towing, including brick scows

She succeeded the dismantled tug F.C. Maxon (abandoned 1889/1890) and served nearly 35 years.

History

  • 1890 – Built in Milwaukee by Wolf & Davidson; first enrolled at Milwaukee
  • 1890–1900 – Regularly towed the scow Noah’s Ark (ex-J.B. Prime, US 13749) with bricks from Schramka’s Brick Yard in Port Washington to Milwaukee
  • Early 1900s – Continued in general harbor towing; later relegated to scow towing in the same trade
  • c. 1925 – Abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River as obsolete
  • 1929 – Removed from U.S. vessel registry

Significant Incidents

  • Cause of Loss: Abandonment – removed from service due to age and obsolescence
  • Location: Kinnickinnic River (Milwaukee Harbor system)
  • Depth: Shallow (< 10 ft / 3 m)
  • Status:
    • Remains never positively identified
    • Likely broken up, buried in river sediment, or scrapped during later harbor improvements

Final Disposition

The Knight Templar was abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River due to obsolescence. The remains have not been positively identified and are likely broken up or buried in sediment.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Status: Likely buried or removed; site within Milwaukee’s Kinnickinnic River

Visibility: Extremely low; river bottom is silty and industrially modified

Hazards: Vessel remains may be fragmented timber; restricted industrial property along shore

Diving: Not recommended without municipal permits; site may fall under Milwaukee Port Authority jurisdiction

Resources & Links

[shotline_reference_links slug=”knight-templar-us-14495″ title=”References & Links”]

The Knight Templar represents the typical 19th-century wooden steam harbor tug that supported Milwaukee’s industrial expansion. While her remains have not been positively identified, her operational history reflects the transition of local harbor fleets from small wooden tugs to steel-hulled, diesel-powered vessels by the 1920s. If located, the wreck would provide a rare example of an early Wolf & Davidson harbor tug and insight into Milwaukee’s commercial towing heritage.

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

  • Vessel Name & Type:
    • Knight Templar – wooden steam screw tug
  • Registration & Dimensions:
    • Official No. 14495
    • Length 18.9 m (62.1 ft)
    • Beam 5.1 m (16.7 ft)
    • Depth of hold 2.26 m (7.4 ft)
    • Gross Tonnage 38.00 GRT
  • Hull: Wood, single‑screw steam propulsion
  • Propulsion: Single-cylinder high‑pressure steam engine and single firebox boiler, both Milwaukee-built
  • Builder: Wolf & Davidson, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (1890)
  • Original Owner: F. C. Maxon
  • Final Owner: Edward E. Gillen Towing Company, Milwaukee
  • Home Port: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • Location of Loss: Kinnickinnic River, Milwaukee County
    • Coordinates: N 43° 00.506′ W 87° 54.480′
    • Nearest City: Milwaukee, WI

Description

The Knight Templar was a small wooden harbor tug designed for local towing and scow service. Her compact hull and shallow draft allowed for operation in the confined rivers and inner harbor of Milwaukee. Key characteristics:

  • Wooden hull with moderate tumblehome typical of 19th‑century Great Lakes tugs
  • Single‑screw steam propulsion with a Milwaukee‑built high‑pressure engine
  • No masts; fully steam‑powered
  • Primarily employed for harbor and barge towing, including brick scows

She succeeded the dismantled tug F.C. Maxon (abandoned 1889/1890) and served nearly 35 years.

Service History

  • 1890 – Built in Milwaukee by Wolf & Davidson; first enrolled at Milwaukee
  • 1890–1900 – Regularly towed the scow Noah’s Ark (ex‑J.B. Prime, US 13749) with bricks from Schramka’s Brick Yard in Port Washington to Milwaukee
  • Early 1900s – Continued in general harbor towing; later relegated to scow towing in the same trade
  • c. 1925 – Abandoned in the Kinnickinnic River as obsolete
  • 1929 – Removed from U.S. vessel registry

Final Disposition

  • Cause of Loss: Abandonment – removed from service due to age and obsolescence
  • Location: Kinnickinnic River (Milwaukee Harbor system)
  • Depth: Shallow (< 10 ft / 3 m)
  • Status:
    • Remains never positively identified
    • Likely broken up, buried in river sediment, or scrapped during later harbor improvements

Notmars & Advisories

  • None issued; vessel abandoned in a designated industrial harbor area

Resources & Archival Links

Shore Access / Wreck Conditions

  • Status: Likely buried or removed; site within Milwaukee’s Kinnickinnic River
  • Visibility: Extremely low; river bottom is silty and industrially modified
  • Hazards: Vessel remains may be fragmented timber; restricted industrial property along shore
  • Diving: Not recommended without municipal permits; site may fall under Milwaukee Port Authority jurisdiction

Conclusion

The Knight Templar represents the typical 19th‑century wooden steam harbor tug that supported Milwaukee’s industrial expansion. While her remains have not been positively identified, her operational history reflects the transition of local harbor fleets from small wooden tugs to steel‑hulled, diesel‑powered vessels by the 1920s. If located, the wreck would provide a rare example of an early Wolf & Davidson harbor tug and insight into Milwaukee’s commercial towing heritage.

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