AH-WR-1575

Ben Drake

Sidewheel Tug · United States · Lost Abandoned by November 1884 · Door County & Lake Michigan

After damage in the Peshtigo River, she was taken to Sturgeon Bay and judged beyond economic repair.

Become Captain of Record

Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents. See the documented evidence.

Interpretive Reconstruction, drawn to convey the vessel's era, type and general form. See the documented evidence.

The Vessel and Her Loss

Ben Drake was built in 1862. She worked as a wooden sidewheel tug. After damage in the Peshtigo River, she was taken to Sturgeon Bay and judged beyond economic repair. She was allowed to sink at the upper mill wharf and her machinery was salvaged.

Vessel

Built: 1862
Builder: Not established
Yard: Not established
Material: Wood
Length: Not established
Beam: Not established
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam, sidewheel
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: Abandoned by November 1884
Cause: Intentional sinking
Location: Sturgeon Bay
Water: Lake Michigan
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Not established
Master: Not established

The Wreck Today

Depth: Not established
Condition: Not established
Orientation: Not established
Discovered: Not established
Protection: Not established

Position

Coordinates: Not established
Accuracy: Position not established
Nearest: Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Region: Door County & Lake Michigan

No verified wreck coordinates used; historical loss locality only.

Evidence

Overall confidence: Documented (78/100)

An exact wreck position, present depth and final-loss casualty total are not established here.

Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Sea Grant — Wisconsin Shipwrecks: Ben Drake
Vessel identity, construction history, service, historical loss locality and loss circumstances.