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

• Built at: Badger State Shipyard, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Official Number: 26367
• Final Location: Scuttled in Kinnickinnic Marsh, Milwaukee Harbor, Lake Michigan, October 1881

Vessel Type

• Single-screw wooden tugboat / towboat

Description

• Hull: Wooden, single deck
• Dimensions: 69.3 ft length × 12.3 ft beam × 6 ft depth
• Tonnage: 66 tons (old style)
• Propulsion: One screw propeller driven by a single-forged, two-cylinder fore-and-aft compound steam engine fueled by one boiler

Construction & Ownership History

• Builder: Leonard H. Boole
• Launched: 24 April 1862
• Enrollment: Milwaukee, 1862
• Ownership Chronology:
  • 1864: Larkin & Greenleaf (Milwaukee)
  • 1866: Larkin & Porter (Milwaukee)
  • 1867: Porter Brothers (Milwaukee)
  • 1875: Starke & Company (Milwaukee)

Operational History

• 1862–1881: Local tow operations in/out of Milwaukee Harbor
• 4 July 1867: Deck and upper works burned at Port Huron, MI — tragedy resulted in 6 fatalities; subsequently rebuilt (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Chicagology)
• October 1870: Rebuilt by Wolf & Davidson (Milwaukee)
• 7 April 1874: Received a new, larger boiler

Incidents of Note

• April 1867 fire: Major damage at Port Huron, with six crew lost; rebuilt post-fire (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Tow role: Assisted in patrol/towing duties—e.g., helped locate the tug Albatross amid fog on Lake Michigan (Chicagology)

Decommissioning & Final Disposition

• July 1881: Dismantled; engine and boiler removed for use in steam barge C. H. Starke
• October 1881: Stripped, taken to Kinnickinnic Marsh, and deliberately scuttled—intentionally sunk after salvage (Wikipedia)

Known Site & Condition

• Located in shallow waters of Kinnickinnic Marsh near the south end of Milwaukee Harbor
• Wreck likely dispersed and buried under marsh sediment; no recorded rediscovery or archaeological survey

Gaps in Archival Record & Research Suggestions

1. Crew lists, detailed casualty records, and inquiry proceedings post-1867 fire are not yet located.
2. Salvage logs from 1881, documenting recovery of machinery for C. H. Starke, remain undocumented in accessible shipyard or insurance archives.
3. No field survey: Unknown if any diver or sonar work has probed the Kinnickinnic Marsh site.

Next steps:

• Consult U.S. Coast Guard/Merchant Vessel Enrollment records (National Archives RG26) for crew manifests.
• Research insurance underwriters’ files (e.g., Lloyd’s, Milwaukee local offices) for post-fire and salvage documentation.
• Seek excavation records or sonar logs from Milwaukee Harbor redevelopment or dredging projects.
• Undertake targeted remote-sensing / diver survey of the shallow wreck site in coordination with Wisconsin historical or maritime preservation bodies.

Archival References & Links

• Fire & rebuild info: Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (compiled data): variant listing confirms rebuild after 1867 fire and dismantlement in 1881 (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
• Tow assistance: contemporary account citing W. K. Muir aiding in rescue/towing Albatross (Chicagology)

Researcher’s Note

The W. K. Muir represents a typical mid‑19th‑century wooden steam tug: small, wooden-built, single-decked, with modest compound engine power. Rebuilt multiple times—and adapting parts into newer vessels—its lifecycle illustrates the industrial recycling practices common in Great Lakes maritime operations. Her final scuttling in a marsh reflects common disposal methods for obsolete vessels.

Because no underwater archaeological assessment appears to have occurred, the wreck provides a potential low-risk site for shallow water survey. However, marsh sedimentation may have obscured key features like the hull frame and engine remnants.

Preliminary Site Dive Info (proposed)

• Expected depth: less than 5 ft (1.5 m) of water—site partially emergent depending on tide/water levels
• Conditions: Marsh environment, silty substrate, potentially poor visibility—special equipment for low‑vis turbidity recommended; watch for submerged debris and private property restrictions
• Permits: Likely need local Milwaukee Harbor Authority / Wisconsin DNR permission; archaeological permit required for any mapping or artifact recovery
• Emergency contacts:
  • USA: Milwaukee County Sheriff Marine Patrol (non‑emergency)
  • Canada: N/A

Conclusion

The tug W. K. Muir (No. 26367) offers a rich, albeit overlooked, opportunity to document mid‑19th‑century Great Lakes tugboat construction, reuse cycles, and disposal practices. Although largely undocumented after scuttling, it still holds potential for study, especially regarding early compound steam engine usage and wooden hull survivability in freshwater marsh conditions. Research and remote sensing could uncover valuable artifact assemblages or structural elements now buried in Kinnickinnic Marsh.

Keywords: Wooden steam tug, compound engine, 1867 Port Huron fire, Kinnickinnic Marsh scuttling, Milwaukee maritime archaeology.

w-k-muir-us-26367 1881-10-24 23:52:00