Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Sioux
  • Former Names: None documented
  • Official Number: Unknown (likely unregistered as a harbor Tug)
  • Built: ca. 1890s (exact year and yard not definitively documented, likely Milwaukee or Chicago)
  • Vessel Type: Wooden steam harbor Tug
  • Dimensions:
    • Estimated Length: 55–65 ft (16.7–19.8 m)
    • Beam: ~16 ft (4.9 m)
    • Draft: ~6–7 ft (1.8–2.1 m)
  • Tonnage: Approx. 35–45 gross tons (harbor Tug range)
  • Propulsion: Steam, single screw
  • Hull Material: Wood
  • Masts: 0
  • Home Port: Likely Milwaukee, WI

Location:

  • Body of Water: Milwaukee Harbor / Lake Michigan
  • County: Milwaukee
  • Nearest City: Milwaukee, WI
  • Coordinates: Approx. 43° 01.465’ N / 87° 54.022’ W
  • Depth: 0–20 ft (shallow scuttling site along north breakwall)

Service History

  • Sioux served as a local harbor Tug, performing general towing and assistance duties.
  • Ownership history is partially undocumented, but records from the 1910s list her among vessels used in municipal or private harbor service.
  • No significant casualty reports exist, indicating a typical harbor workboat career.

Final Voyage & Disposition

  • Summer 1918: Sioux was dismantled and Abandoned in Milwaukee Harbor near the north breakwall and city garbage plant, a known scuttling site for out‑of‑service harbor craft.
  • Likely scuttled adjacent to the Tug Golden.
  • No lives lost.
  • Over time, harbor infill, dredging, and breakwall extensions may have buried or scattered the remains.

Research Notes

  • Hydrographic charts and harbor surveys (c. 1915–1925) may indicate scuttling locations; Milwaukee Harbor “wreck reports” often listed by generic name “Abandoned Tug.”
  • Municipal archives and C.H. Starke Dredge Co. records may confirm whether Sioux was company-owned or municipally leased before abandonment.
  • The site is non-navigational hazard today; modern sonar may identify buried wreckage near the north breakwall.

Resources & References

Historical Context

Both Sioux and Golden represent the routine disposal of wooden harbor tugs in early 20th‑century Great Lakes ports. These vessels, once vital for harbor commerce, were stripped and scuttled rather than formally scrapped due to low salvage value and local disposal convenience.