Sidewheel Steamer Niagara
Historic Shipwreck
Type: sidewheel “palace steamer”
Built: 1846, Bidwell & Banta, Buffalo, N.Y.
Sank: Sept. 24, 1856, burned
Length: 245’
Beam: 33’
Cargoes: passengers, package freight
Propulsion: single-cylinder walking beam engine, sidewheels
Depth: 55’
From 1844 to 1857, lavish vessels known as “palace steamers” dominated Great Lakes passenger and package trade. Carrying hundreds of passengers and large cargoes, these opulent boats offered the fastest and most dependable transportation between the East and the Midwest before railroads connected these regions. Considered “the most beautifully appointed craft ever built on the Lakes,” palace steamers marked the pinnacle of Great Lakes passenger service. The Niagara, the second of 25 palace steamers to work the lakes, was a familiar sight along western Lake Michigan and brought thousands of settlers to Wisconsin.
On September 23, 1856, the Niagara left Sheboygan, Wisconsin, for Port Washington. Around 4 p.m., fire broke out. The engines soon quit, bringing the vessel’s giant paddlewheels to a halt. As smoke and flames engulfed the boat 4-5 miles offshore, passengers panicked, causing one of Wisconsin’s deadliest transportation disasters. Despite rescue efforts, over 60 people died, many from drowning while frantically trying to board the lifeboats. Today, the remains of the Niagara memorialize the people and the vessels that fueled the early growth and development of the Midwest.
Through the Maritime Trails, the Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Sea Grant are working with local communities to preserve our maritime heritage. To learn more, visit www.maritimetrails.org.
Marker can be reached from East Main Street 0.1 miles east of North Franklin Street (Wisconsin Route 32).
Courtesy hmdb.org
