Identification & Site Information

Vessel Type

A compact wooden steam-powered fish Tug designed for charter fishing or ice-breaking, typical of late‑19th-century Great Lakes commercial craft.

Description

At just 15 m in length, J.W. Eviston was a nimble workboat with a steam engine driving a single propeller. Built in Milwaukee, she was later based in Duluth, operating under private ownership.

History

Constructed in 1872, the Tug served small-scale commercial or fishing operations on the upper lakes. On 20 July 1897, while in her home port of Duluth, she erupted into fire and burned to the waterline—suffering Total Loss. Fortunately, no casualties were reported (greatlakesrex.wordpress.com).

Contemporaneous accounts, including in period vessel-loss lists and the History of the Great Lakes, confirm the event as a notable local incident of that summer .

Final Disposition

Declared a Total Loss after the fire, the vessel sank on-site in Duluth Harbor. No salvage was recorded; her remains (Hull fragments or debris) likely remained near or under the dock.

Located By & Date Found

Nil return. No known underwater investigation or wreck survey has identified her remains.

Notations & Advisories

  • No navigational hazards currently charted near Duluth Harbor relate to her sinking.
  • Wreck likely lies shallowly submerged at or near her mooring location in Duluth.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

J.W. EVISTON, a small wooden propeller fish Tug built in 1872, was destroyed by fire in Duluth Harbor on 20 July 1897. She was a Total Loss, with no reported casualties, and remains unlocated today—likely resting in shallow, harbor-adjacent waters.

Archival & Further Research

  • Retrieve Duluth newspaper articles from July–August 1897 for eye-witness reports.
  • Explore Duluth maritime or Coast Guard logs for fire incident files.
  • Contact Lake Superior maritime archives (e.g., Duluth Maritime Museum) for enrollment, crew, or mooring records.