AH-WR-1955

Mary Mills

Steam Barge · Lost A Wednesday morning in December 1900, reported December 15; exact day not established. · Door County & Lake Michigan

The old lumber and coal steam barge Mary Mills burned at Circle Ridge near Sturgeon Bay in December 1900.

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Artistic recreation based on recorded historical documents.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

Launched at Vicksburg, Michigan, on July 3, 1872, the steam barge Mary Mills worked mainly in the lumber and coal trade. In December 1900, while lying at Circle Ridge near Sturgeon Bay waiting to load pressed hay, she caught fire about 2 a.m., reportedly from an exploded lamp in the engine room. The barge and the warehouse beside her were destroyed. She was valued at $7,000 and insured for $4,500.

Vessel

Built: 1872
Builder: P. Lester
Yard: Vicksburg, Michigan
Material: Wood
Length: 117.9 ft
Beam: 24.2 ft
Tonnage: Not established
Propulsion: Steam
Owners: Not established

Loss

Date: A Wednesday morning in December 1900, reported December 15; exact day not established.
Cause: Fire
Location: Circle Ridge, near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Water: Lake Michigan
Voyage: Not established
Cargo: Not established
Aboard: Not established
Lives lost: Casualties not stated in the source reviewed.
Master: Not established