Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Names: John D. Dewar
  • Former Names: None recorded
  • Registration Number: 76571
  • Year Built: 1885
  • Year Lost: 1921 (officially Abandoned 1923)
  • Vessel Dimensions:
    • Length: 72 ft (21.95 m)
    • Beam: 15.5 ft (4.72 m)
    • Depth of Hold: 7 ft (2.13 m)
    • Gross Tonnage: 52 tons
  • Coordinates (Approximate):
    • Latitude: 43° 00.895′ N
    • Longitude: 87° 53.001′ W
    • Depth: Unknown, shallow within Milwaukee outer harbor (Lake Michigan)
  • Nearest City: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
  • County: Milwaukee County
  • Body of Water: Lake Michigan (Milwaukee Outer Harbor)

Vessel Type

  • Class: Steam Screw (Wooden Hull)
  • Use: Small package freight and passenger/excursion Steamer
  • Propulsion: Single steam screw, Wood-Fired Boiler
  • Number of Masts: None

Description

The John D. Dewar was a small wooden excursion Steamer designed for package freight, fruit transport, and passenger service along the eastern and western shores of Lake Michigan. Built in 1885 at Ludington, Michigan by A. Betters, she was:

  • Rated A2 in 1887
  • Valued at $8,000
  • Powered by a single screw steam engine, later removed after sinking

During her operational years, the Dewar frequently made short runs between Manistee, Onekama, Arcadia, and Frankfort, providing local passenger and freight service.

History

  • 1885 – Launch: Built for Duncan Dewar of Ludington, MI
  • 1887 – Registry: U.S. Registry No. 76571; A2 rated
  • 1892 – Excursion Service: Purchased by Henry F. Robertson, who operated daily runs to northern Michigan lake ports
  • Multiple Ownerships: At least 10 owners during her 36-year career
  • 1920: Owned by Katherine Murphy, Sturgeon Bay; final owner J. E. Murphy, Chicago

The Dewar became part of Chicago’s excursion and municipal pier fleet, working alongside the Steamer Hazel for seasonal passenger traffic.

Final Disposition

  • Date of Sinking: September 19–20, 1921
  • Cause: Sprang a leak while under tow from Chicago to Sturgeon Bay for repairs and refit
  • Tow Vessel: Tug Silver Spray #116676 (reports also mention Hazel assisting)
  • Location of Loss: Behind Milwaukee’s Breakwater, outer harbor
  • Salvage:
    • Engine and boiler removed
    • Wrecking Barge Advance (L.D. Smith Dock Co.) with diver Perl Purdy attempted further recovery but Abandoned operations due to depth and wreck orientation
  • Abandonment: Officially listed as Abandoned in Merchant Vessel records, 1923
  • Destruction: Upper works burned after machinery removal

Located By & Current Status

  • Current Location: Milwaukee Outer Harbor, exact Hull location undetermined
  • Discovery Attempts:
    • No fully verified modern dive or sonar documentation
    • Hull likely scattered or buried under harbor silt due to 1920s wrecking and burning

NOTMARs & Advisories

  • None currently noted; wreck considered non-navigational hazard

Resources & Links

Shore Dive & Access Information

  • Dive Feasibility:
    • Recreational shore diving is not recommended due to unknown wreck location, low Visibility, and harbor traffic
  • Conditions:
    • Shallow harbor; potential for silt burial
    • Active vessel traffic in Milwaukee Harbor
  • Emergency Contact:
    • U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan – (414) 747-7182
  • Permits:
    • Wreck is considered state-submerged cultural resource if located; contact Wisconsin Historical Society for dive permissions

Conclusion

The John D. Dewar represents a small but significant class of late 19th-century Great Lakes excursion and freight steamers, which were critical to short-haul commerce and passenger traffic before the dominance of rail and automobile travel.

While largely forgotten, her final resting place in Milwaukee’s harbor remains part of the city’s submerged maritime heritage, and any future sonar or diver surveys may confirm whether her wooden Hull survives beneath harbor sediment.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

  • Great Lakes Shipwrecks – Lake Michigan
  • Wooden Steam Screw / Excursion Steamer
  • Harbor Sinking / Machinery Salvage
  • Abandoned Hulls / Burned Wrecks
  • Milwaukee Maritime History
  • Dive Difficulty: N/A – Unknown Location