John Evenson Shipwreck listed in the State Register of Historic Places

AHNAPEE – The Wisconsin Historical Society has announced the listing of the John Evensen Shipwreck near the Town of Ahnapee on the State Register of Historic Places. The shipwreck is submerged in Lake Michigan in 48 feet of water. Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Amy Wyatt and Maritime Archaeologist Tamara Thomsen presented a certificate to Brendon Baillod and Bob Jaeck.

Built in Milwaukee in 1884 by its namesake John Evenson, the wooden steam tugboat initially served in towing and fishing operations around the Milwaukee harbor. Later, George Spear purchased the tug and relocated it to work in the lumber trade, towing log rafts. The John Evenson continued to be utilized for various towing activities throughout the region, including towing vessels through the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, operating as a wrecking tug, and transporting barges loaded with stone. John Evenson caught fire several times throughout its service but was rebuilt to the original proportions.

The John Evenson had one of the most difficult years in its career in 1892. On April 20, while passing through the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, the tugboat struck the corner of the north side of the drawbridge with the starboard side of its pilothouse, smashing a portion and setting the top back a foot. On May 26, 1892, the John Evenson caught on fire while laying at the Merchant’s Wharf in Sturgeon Bay. The fire started in the pilot house and spread quickly.

The heat was so intense the windows shattered. The fire started from the boiler, the rear end of which rested near the wooden partition. No alarm could be sounded but a message was sent to the Sturgeon Bay Fire Department engine house. By the time they arrived, however, the crew, the tug Nelson and others on hand at the wharf had stepped in and put out the fire. A month later, on June 23, the fire department issued a bill for the false alarm. The tug was repaired on June 4, 1892.

A month later, on July 18, the John Evenson caught fire again while docked in Manistee, Michigan. The tug had been at the wharf after delivering a scow full of salt. The fire originated in the after-end of the cabin, believed to have started from a spark from a passing tug. This type of fire had reportedly occurred in the same location in Manistee before for the same reason. Although the upper works were destroyed, the hull and machinery remained intact. The tug remained in Manistee while insurance matters were settled. On Sept. 15, 1892, the Laurie Brothers made sufficient repairs to sail the tug back to Sturgeon Bay. There, they thoroughly rebuilt the upper works, making the cabins and pilothouse slightly wider than before. The John Evenson immediately returned to service until it was dry-docked for the winter in December.

On June 5, 1895, the tug John Evenson, returning to Sturgeon Bay after boiler repairs, waited near the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal for a tow. It encountered the steambarge I. Watson Stephenson with two consorts, the Alert and the Peshtigo. While attempting to attach a tow line, the tug miscalculated the Stephenson’s speed, was struck in the stern, and immediately sank. All crew were on deck except Fireman Martin “Baldy” Boswell, who was asleep in his cabin. Boswell awoke to the commotion and got as far as the door of the cabin before he was pushed back into the boat by the force of the water as the tug flipped. The rest of the crew managed to climb onto the hull but were left floating for fifteen minutes before being rescued by the Stephenson’s boats.

Valued at $3,500, the vessel was insured only against fire. Efforts to raise and salvage the John Evenson were unsuccessful, and it was ultimately declared a total loss.

The shipwreck, documented by Wisconsin Historical Society archaeologists and volunteers in Sept. 2024, is a significant historical site. It is one of the rare examples of a wooden harbor tug in Wisconsin waters, offering historians and archaeologists a unique opportunity to study its construction.

The vessel rests on its port side, with its hull bed and major machinery components — including the boiler, steam engine, propeller and rudder — still present. It is possible that additional hull components remain in the adjacent area and buried beneath the sand.

To date, no divers outside of the survey have visited the site, which has already provided a wealth of archaeological knowledge and holds the potential to yield even more important data in the future.

State and federal laws protect this shipwreck. Divers may not remove artifacts or structures when visiting this site. Removing, defacing, displacing or destroying artifacts or sites is a crime.

To learn more about the State and National Register programs in Wisconsin, visit www.wisconsinhistory.org.