Mary Mills – Lake Michigan Barge Shipwreck (1900)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: MARY MILLS
• Type: Wooden Steambarge (Bulk Freight Carrier)
• Year Built: 1872
• Builder: Philander Lester
• Dimensions: 113.2 ft (34.5 m) X 23.6 ft (7.2 m); Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
• Registered Tonnage: 119.59 tons
• Location: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
• Official Number: 90493
• Original Owners: John Bolton & M. Bilty Lumber Co., Milwaukee, WI

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

The MARY MILLS was a wooden-hulled steambarge, a common type of vessel on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century. Steambarges were steam-powered cargo carriers designed primarily for:

• Transporting lumber, coal, and other bulk goods
• Towing barges to increase cargo capacity
• Navigating rivers, harbors, and open lake waters

Unlike traditional sailing schooners, steambarges had greater reliability, making them crucial to the lumber and transportation industries on the Great Lakes.

Description

The MARY MILLS operated for 28 years, undergoing multiple rebuilds, ownership transfers, and mechanical upgrades, before meeting its end in a fire in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1900.

History

The MARY MILLS had a notable history with several key events:

• July 13, 1872: Launched at Vicksburg (Marysville), Michigan, built by Philander Lester.
• August 7, 1872: Enrolled at Port Huron, Michigan.
• 1874: Rebuilt at Marine City, MI; boiler replaced by Philbrook & Christie, Detroit.
• 1878: Used as an excursion boat before returning to freight service.
• 1881-1883: Active in the Alpena cedar post trade and Oscoda-Cleveland lumber trade.
• 1886: Machinery removed and replaced with an engine from the steamer G.P. HEATH in Manitowoc, WI.
• 1893: Rebuilt again in Ahnapee, WI and enrolled at Superior, WI.
• 1898, May 5: Collided with a dump scow owned by Starke Dredge Co.
• 1898, July 14: Burned while loaded with coal at Jones Island, Milwaukee, WI.
• 1898, September: Seized by U.S. Marshals in Milwaukee due to the May collision incident.
• 1899, August 14: Sold to John Bolton & M. Bilty Lumber Co., Milwaukee.

Significant Incidents

• The vessel was moored in Sturgeon Bay Harbor, Lake Michigan, when a fire broke out on board.
• The flames spread rapidly, consuming both the vessel and its cargo of hay.
• The nearby dock and a warehouse also caught fire and were destroyed.
• The MARY MILLS was declared a total loss and never rebuilt.

Final Disposition

The MARY MILLS was lost on December 11, 1900, when it caught fire in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, while loaded with hay.

Despite surviving multiple collisions, fires, and ownership changes, the MARY MILLS ultimately met its end due to fire, a common cause of loss for wooden steambarges.

Current Condition & Accessibility

Nil return. There are no confirmed reports of the MARY MILLS‘s wreck remains being discovered or documented near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

Since it burned to a total loss in a harbor, any remains were likely removed or destroyed in the aftermath of the fire.

Resources & Links

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The MARY MILLS was a hardworking steambarge that endured 28 years of service, surviving multiple collisions, ownership changes, and even a previous fire, before being destroyed in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, in 1900. Its loss highlights the dangers of wooden steamships, which were highly susceptible to fire, especially when carrying combustible cargo like coal or hay.