Port Washington in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Sidewheel Steamer Niagara
Historic Shipwreck
— Wisconsin’s Maritime Trails —
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
1. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker (left panel)
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
this page online
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.
Erected by Wisconsin Historical Society and Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Wisconsin’s Maritime Trails series list. A significant historical month for this entry is September 1917.
Location. 43° 23.306′ N, 87° 52.082′ W. Marker is in Port Washington, Wisconsin, in Ozaukee County. Marker can be reached from East Main Street, 0.1 miles east of North Franklin Street (Wisconsin Highway 32). Marker is located at Port Harbor Center. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 218 East Main Street, Port Washington WI 53074, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Paramount Records & F.W. Boerner Company (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wilson House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Blake Building (about 400 feet away); Charles A Mueller Tannery (1872-1903)
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
2. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker
Close-up of ship information
More about this marker. On the lower left is a sketch with the caption, "Underwater archaeologists prepared detailed drawings of the Niagara during an investigation of the site. This study provides a wealth of information about nineteenth-century maritime life and ship construction, while assisting in the management and preservation of the site."
On the right is a sketch with the caption, "The walking beam is a signature feature of sidewheel steamers. The diamond shaped apparatus transferred power from the Niagara’s powerful single cylinder, 14’ long and 6’ in diameter, to the paddlewheels, propelling the vessel up to 15 mph."
On the lower right are "These two images depict the Niagara’s paddlewheel before and after damage done by wreck looters and reckless anchoring. Before, the majestic intact paddlewheel stood as a rare attraction for
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
3. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker
Close-up of lower right pictures.
On top of the right panel is a drawing of "Port Washington Harbor circa 1856" with the caption, "A pall of smoke rises to the northeast as the sidewheeler Niagara is consumed in flames>"
On bottom of the right panel are several photographs with the captions: "Captain and future beer baron Frederick Pabst lead the rescue of Niagara's passengers from a yawl launched by the nearby steamer Traveler."; ""Frozen Charlotte," child's porceline toy figurine, recovered from the shipwreck in the early 1970's."; "Bull's-eye patterned china, pulled from beneath the wreck's engine bed."; "An anchor memorializes the sixty-plus victims of the Niagara sinking in Port Washington's Union Cemetery." Also shown is a sketch with the caption, "The Niagara steams from Buffalo, headed for points West, c.1847 from Edwin Whitefield's View of American Cities."
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Additional keywords.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
4. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker
Archaelogical Site Plan
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
5. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker (right panel)
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
6. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 8, 2011
7. Sidewheel Steamer Niagara Marker
along the Port Washington harbor
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,205 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on September 12, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
