Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Sheboygan
- Type: Wooden Sidewheel Steamer
- Year Built: 1869
- Builder: Greenleaf S. Rand, Manitowoc, WI
- Dimensions: 208 ft (63.4 m) x 32 ft (9.8 m) x 12 ft (3.7 m)
- Registered Tonnage: Unknown
- Location: One mile north of Manitowoc Harbor Piers, Lake Michigan
- Coordinates: Unknown
- Official Number: Unknown
- Original Owners: Goodrich Transit Company
- Number of Masts: None
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
The Sheboygan was a wooden sidewheel passenger and freight steamer designed for cross-lake service on Lake Michigan.
Description
The Sheboygan was a 208-foot wooden sidewheel passenger and freight steamer designed for cross-lake service on Lake Michigan. Built in 1869, she featured a reused steam engine with a long pedigree dating back to 1853. Her shallow draft and wide beam made her ideal for coastal transport in Great Lakes waters. She was the first steamer built specifically for the Goodrich Transit Company.
History
The Sheboygan served with distinction for over four decades, primarily on Lake Michigan, providing reliable service for passengers and freight. After being retired from active passenger duty in 1912, she remained in reserve. In 1913, while temporarily reactivated, she collided with the Iowa in the Chicago River, causing the latter to sink. Minor damage to Sheboygan and the firing of both captains followed.
By 1914, the vessel was condemned by U.S. inspectors and sold for scrap. Her dismantling occurred at Manitowoc Iron and Metal Co., where all valuable materials were removed before a ceremonial scuttling.
Significant Incidents
- Collision with the Iowa in 1913, resulting in the sinking of the Iowa.
Final Disposition
On September 25, 1914, the stripped hull of the Sheboygan was towed by the tug Arctic to a position one mile north of Manitowoc Harbor. Before a crowd including the Goodrich Company’s president and general manager, she was set ablaze and burned to the waterline in a maritime funeral rite. No remains were preserved.
Current Condition & Accessibility
No wreck site has been discovered. Ash debris presumably dispersed or settled in shallow lake waters.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”sheyboygan” title=”References & Links”]
Access to the Sheboygan wreck site is not possible as it was ceremonially burned and no remains exist. The area is not a navigational hazard.
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
Other Names: None
Official Number: Unknown
Registry: U.S.
Vessel Type: Wooden Sidewheel Steamer
Builder: Greenleaf S. Rand, Manitowoc, WI
Year Built: 1869
Dimensions: 208 ft (63.4 m) x 32 ft (9.8 m) x 12 ft (3.7 m)
Tonnage: Unknown
Cargo on Final Voyage: None (vessel stripped for dismantling)
Date of Loss: 25 September 1914
Location: One mile north of Manitowoc Harbor Piers, Lake Michigan
Coordinates: Unknown
Depth: Surface burn; presumed ash debris dispersed
Home Port: Chicago, IL (Goodrich Transit Co.)
Owners: Goodrich Transit Company
Crew: Not in service at time of loss
Casualties: None
Description
The Sheboygan was a 208-foot wooden sidewheel passenger and freight steamer designed for cross-lake service on Lake Michigan. Built in 1869, she featured a reused steam engine with a long pedigree dating back to 1853. Her shallow draft and wide beam made her ideal for coastal transport in Great Lakes waters. She was the first steamer built specifically for the Goodrich Transit Company.
History
The Sheboygan served with distinction for over four decades, primarily on Lake Michigan, providing reliable service for passengers and freight. After being retired from active passenger duty in 1912, she remained in reserve. In 1913, while temporarily reactivated, she collided with the Iowa in the Chicago River, causing the latter to sink. Minor damage to Sheboygan and the firing of both captains followed.
By 1914, the vessel was condemned by U.S. inspectors and sold for scrap. Her dismantling occurred at Manitowoc Iron and Metal Co., where all valuable materials were removed before a ceremonial scuttling.
Final Dispositions
On September 25, 1914, the stripped hull of the Sheboygan was towed by the tug Arctic to a position one mile north of Manitowoc Harbor. Before a crowd including the Goodrich Company’s president and general manager, she was set ablaze and burned to the waterline in a maritime funeral rite. No remains were preserved.
Located By & Date Found
No wreck site has been discovered. Ash debris presumably dispersed or settled in shallow lake waters.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted. Area used for ceremonial burn, not a navigational hazard.
Dive Information
Access: Not diveable
Entry Point: N/A
Conditions: Not applicable
Depth Range: Surface burn
Emergency Contacts: USCG Station Two Rivers
Permits: Not applicable
Dive Support: Not applicable
Crew & Casualty Memorials
None. No loss of life occurred. Vessel not manned at time of destruction.
Documented Statements & Extracts
“After forty-five years of service on Lake Michigan, the Goodrich line steamer SHEBOYGAN was towed a mile north of the harbor piers Friday night and burned amid great ceremonies.” — Wisconsin State Journal, September 27, 1914
Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails
No known official number recorded. Ownership listed as Goodrich Transit Co. from 1869 to 1914. No insurance claims made due to ceremonial disposal.
Site Documentation & Imaging
No sonar, wreck charting, or archaeological imaging exists. Photographs of the burning event may exist in regional archives.
Image Gallery
Resources & Links
- Wisconsin Maritime Museum
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Chronicling America – Historic Newspapers
References
- Wisconsin State Journal, September 27, 1914
- Herman Runge, Great Lakes Steamship Notes
- Wisconsin Maritime Museum Collections, Manitowoc, WI
NOAA Shipwreck Record Card
Other Names: None
Official Number: Unknown
Coordinates: Unknown
Depth: Surface level (burned hull)
Location Description: 1 mile N of Manitowoc Harbor Piers, Lake Michigan
Vessel Type: Sidewheel Steamer
Material: Wood
Dimensions: 208 ft × 32 ft × 12 ft
Condition: Destroyed by fire
Cause of Loss: Ceremonial burning following dismantling
Discovery Date: Not applicable
Discovered By: N/A
Method: N/A
Legal Notes: Scrapped and decommissioned voluntarily
Hazards: None
Permits Required: Not applicable
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