Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Fannie White
  • Year built: 1862, Buffalo, New York by Hitchcock & Gibson
  • Official tonnage: ~30 tons (old style)
  • Type: Wooden-hulled screw‑propelled yacht (later used as Tug)
  • Dimensions: 52.8 ft × 11.6 ft × 3.7 ft (16.1 m × 3.5 m × 1.1 m)
  • Registration & Owners:
    • May 1863: Capt. Johnson (Buffalo)
    • September 1863: George J. Morton (Erie, PA)
    • 1869: Rebuilt and later operated by Matt Stickney (East Saginaw, MI)

Vessel Type & Description

Originally a leisure yacht, Fannie White was built with a single-Deck wooden Hull and Screw Propulsion. She later transitioned to Tug duties on the Saginaw River, used for small freight or tow tasks.

History

  • 1863: Owned and captained by early commercial operators; moved between Buffalo and Erie.
  • 1865: Experienced a boiler explosion while stationary on the Saginaw River near Bay City—damage recorded, no major injuries noted.
  • 1869: Abandoned, then Rebuilt in East Saginaw by E.W. Wheeler; resumed service under Matt Stickney.
  • 1870: Registered out of East Saginaw (52.8 × 11.6 × 3.7 ft; 30 gross tons).

Final Disposition

Final Disposition

Burned beyond repair and either sank or was dismantled on-site; no structural remnants remain.

Located By & Date Found

No record of wreck discovery, archaeological investigation, or modern dive; her remains are considered lost and unrecoverable.

Notmar & Advisories

No current navigational advisories are linked to the wreck. The lower Saginaw River area remains routinely patrolled and monitored, with standard caution advised for fire and wreck hazards near old timber transport routes.

Resources & Links

  • Fire-loss summary from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Files (“F” section listing “Fannie White” lost 27 Nov 1877 by fire) (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)

Conclusion

Fannie White exemplifies 19th-century multipurpose wooden vessels in Great Lakes and riverine environments—starting as a yacht and ending her service as a Tug before succumbing to a destructive fire in 1877. Though her physical remains have vanished, her historical footprint is preserved through registry records and archival fire-loss documentation.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

  • Keywords: yacht-to-Tug, Saginaw River, 1877 fire-loss, wooden screw, boiler explosion
  • Categories: Wooden screw vessels, Saginaw maritime history, 19th-century Great Lakes tugs
  • Glossary:
    • Boiler explosion: Rupture of a steam boiler, often catastrophic for wooden vessels.
    • Screw (propeller): A rotating blade mechanism for propulsion under water.
    • Enrollment: Official U.S. registry documentation for vessels.
    • Total Loss: Vessel destroyed or damaged beyond salvage.