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.

Identification Card (Site Style)

Description

The May Corgan was a small steam tug built in 1883, employed variously in passenger transfers, log rafting, and later commercial fishing. Originally linked to lighthouse keeper James Corgan, the tug was eventually sold to the Booth Packing Company, Bayfield, where it worked in the fisheries industry. Wooden-hulled and steam screw-driven, she was typical of the workhorse tugs operating in the Apostle Islands region during the late 19th century.

History

• 1883: In service by lighthouse keeper James Corgan; used to transfer family and supplies (“Took my family and effects on board my own tug the May E. Corgan” – Oct. 27, 1883).
• Mid-1880s: Tug used to raft logs from the Bad River to Ashland sawmills.
• 1888: Purchased by the Booth Packing Company, Bayfield, and converted to fishery support service, hauling catch and supplies.
• 1891: Final owner Booth Packing Company, operating out of Bayfield and Washburn, Wisconsin.

Final Voyage

On the night of 11 December 1891, the May Corgan was under tow of the steamer T.H. Camp, bound for Duluth. A severe gale arose off Bark Point, and the towline parted. With no one aboard the tug to steer her, the vessel sheered broadside to the seas, quickly filled with water, and sank in ~30 feet of water.

Both vessels were owned by the Booth Packing Company, Bayfield. The loss was valued at $10,000. No salvage is recorded, and no lives were lost, as the tug was unmanned at the time.

“The May Corgan of this city (Bayfield), was sunk off Bark Point (Sand Island) last night. While in tow of the T.H. Camp, for Duluth, a severe gale was encountered, the tow line parted, the May Corrigan sheered and sank in thirty feet of water. The trouble seemed to be, that no one had been put on the Corgan to steer her…” — Ashland Weekly Press, 12/12/1891

Final Disposition

Declared a total loss; never salvaged. Likely remains scattered in ~30 feet of water near Bark Point. Site is not known as an active dive target.

Located By & Date Found

Coordinates given as N 46° 57.031′ W 090° 57.127′ (near Bark Point). No formal discovery or archaeological survey has been reported.

Notmars & Advisories

None noted; shallow wreckage likely scattered.

Dive Information

Access: Boat launch at Bayfield or Cornucopia
Depth: ~30 ft (9 m)
Visibility: Variable; prone to turbidity in storms
Hazards: Scattered debris, shallow currents
Emergency Contact: USCG Bayfield Station
Dive Suitability: Not a recognized dive site; research diving only

Significance

The May Corgan illustrates the multi-use tugboats that sustained fishing, logging, and transportation across the Apostle Islands during the late 1800s. Her short service life, ending in an avoidable sinking caused by being towed unmanned in a gale, highlights the risks of small-vessel operations in Lake Superior’s volatile conditions. As with many regional tugs, little remains known of her wreck, making her a candidate for future survey and documentat

Resources & Links

• Ashland Weekly Press, 12/12/1891 (primary wreck report)
• Wisconsin Historical Society Shipwreck Database
• Booth Packing Company records, Bayfield archives
• Local oral history references, Apostle Islands communities

References

1. Ashland Weekly Press, 12 Dec 1891.
2. Wisconsin Maritime Records – Tugboats and Fishing Support Vessels, 1880s–1890s.
3. Local lighthouse logs (James Corgan transfer reference, 1883).

NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card