(built 1868 – destroyed 12 October 1918)
Identification
- Name: Mentor (wooden Tug operated by Northern Dock & Dredge Company)
- Official Registry Number: 145xxx (not consistently recorded under her name)
- Built: circa 1880s; exact year/yard not documented
- Type: Wooden Tug—worked in Duluth–Superior dock and Dredge operations on Lake Superior
- Loss Location: Grassy Point, Duluth, Minnesota—anchored in harbor
Final Voyage & Incident
- On 12 October 1918, the Cloquet–Duluth Forest Fire, one of the worst natural disasters in Minnesota history, swept into Lake Superior’s shores with winds up to 65–76 mph, burning over 250,000 acres (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Minnesota Historical Society)
- Mentor lay tied up at Grassy Point at U.S. harbor facilities of Northern Dock & Dredge. As fire engulfed the docks, Mentor, along with several company vessels, was completely burned to the waterline, destroyed, and declared a Total Loss (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Casualties: None reported among crew or harbor personnel. The destruction occurred rapidly amid evacuation.
Summary Table
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Mentor |
| Type | Wooden dock/Tug vessel |
| Loss Date | 12 October 1918 |
| Place of Loss | Grassy Point, Duluth, MN – Lake Superior |
| Cause of Loss | Forest fire (Cloquet–Duluth Fire) |
| Casualties | None reported |
| Other Vessels Lost | Tug Ella G. Stone, scows† N. 1–4, John H. Jeffrey Jr., Duluth Dredge, etc. (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, firelibrary.org) |
Historical Context
- The Cloquet–Duluth Fire began on 10 October 1918, culminating in hurricane-force winds and a wall of flames that reached Duluth by evening of 12 October, annihilating industrial facilities and port infrastructure along the shoreline (Minnesota Historical Society, National Weather Service)
- Mentor was among at least nine vessels wrecked in the harbor, all tied to Northern Dock & Dredge Company, including tugs and Dredge scows swept off their moorings as firestorm raged (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Significance & Research Opportunities
This incident marks a rare case of dockside vessel destruction by wildfire, rather than storm or navigation hazard. The loss of Mentor—and her fleet—highlighted the vulnerability of wooden maritime infrastructure in areas dominated by the logging industry, where sawdust, slash, and pine fuel created tinderbox conditions.
Research paths to explore:
- Northern Dock & Dredge company records (if archived in local historical societies) for vessel registries or dockside inventories
- Duluth newspaper archives (Duluth News Tribune, Cloquet Dispatch) covering October 1918 to identify crew reports, inventory listings, and insurance claims
- Insurance records for underwriters assessing losses of Steamer Mentor and associated fleet
- Oral histories or photographic archives from Duluth Fire Department or local maritime museum collections for visual documentation
Conclusion
Mentor, a wooden Tug under the Northern Dock & Dredge Company, was destroyed by fire while moored at Grassy Point during the catastrophic Cloquet–Duluth Forest Fire on 12 October 1918. Though no lives were lost, the vessel, along with a fleet of tugboats and scows, was incinerated in the blaze—marking a significant non-marine disaster linked to Great Lakes maritime operations. The event underlines the intersection of industrial lumber practices and waterfront infrastructure vulnerability.