Wooden Passenger Steamer – Built 1888, Destroyed December 1935
Identification & Background
- Type: Wooden passenger Steamer
- Built: 1888
- Homeport: Grand Haven, Michigan
- Service Area: Lake Michigan
- Final Fate: Destroyed by fire at the Sturgeon Bay Shipbuilding yard, Wisconsin
(Wisconsin Shipwrecks – including details from Sturgeon Bay dry-dock records) (wisconsinshipwrecks.org, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, YouTube)
Circumstances of Loss
- Date: December 3, 1935 (fire discovered around 8 PM at the shipyard)
- The blaze likely began from sparks of acetylene torches used on another vessel (E.G. Crosby) and rapidly spread.
- Petoskey was destroyed, and flames engulfed at least four other vessels.
- All vessels were uninsured and written off as total losses.
(wisconsinshipwrecks.org)
Significance
- Petoskey had nearly 50 years of service before she was dismantled and Abandoned pending mothballing.
- The fire represents a major incident in shipyard history, remembered alongside similar fires like the Waukegan disaster.
(wisconsinshipwrecks.org, YouTube)
Summary Table
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Built | 1888 – wooden passenger Steamer |
| Lost | Dec 3, 1935 – Sturgeon Bay shipyard fire |
| Cause | Accidental torch sparks led to a rapid yard blaze |
| Casualties | None – crew safe, but uninsured vessels totaled losses |
Broader Incident Note
Multiple vessels—including Petoskey—were engulfed in the same yard fire. The event echoes the Waukegan Shipyard Fire, highlighting industrial fire risks in Great Lakes ship maintenance facilities.
(wisconsinshipwrecks.org)