City of Ashland (shipwreck)

History
Name:	City of Ashland
Namesake:	Ashland, Wisconsin
Owner:	Superior Lumber Company, Ashland, Wisconsin
Port of registry:	United States
Launched:	1883
Fate:	Burned and sank 8 August 1887
General characteristics
Type:	Paddle steamer
Tonnage:	84.62 tons
Length:	90 feet (27.4 meters)
Beam:	20 feet (6.1 meters)
Depth:	7 feet (2.1 meters)
Depth of hold:	21 feet (6.4 meters)
Propulsion:	Steam engine, sidewheel

City of Ashland was a sidewheel paddle steamer that sank in Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior, off Ashland, Wisconsin.^[1] The was named for Ashland, a port community. The wreckage remains at the bottom of the bay, close to the ship′s namesake city.

History

City of Ashland was built in 1883 and owned by the Superior Lumber Company, located in Ashland. The ship primarily was used for timber rafting. As timber was harvested around the Bad River area of Wisconsin, the logs would collect near the shore, where City of Ashland would pick them up and tow them in rafts to the sawmill in Ashland.^[2] The ship was a common sight around the Chequamegon Bay area.

On August 8, 1887, City of Ashland was returning to Ashland while pulling a raft of logs. At a point about three nautical miles (5.5 km) northeast of Washburn, Wisconsin, a fire was discovered at the rear of the pilothouse. The entire ship was engulfed in flames within minutes. Hundreds of people lined the shore to view the emergency.^[2] As the flames quickly began to consume almost the entire ship, the crew had no choice but to jump into the cold water of Lake Superior. Several ships came to their rescue, including Cyclone and S. B. Barker. Most of her crew survived, but crewman Fred Ebert drowned.^[2]

The origin of the fire remains a mystery. The ship's wreck remains under the waters of Lake Superior.

See also

• List of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes
• Apostle Islands

References

Apostle Islands
Islands	Madeline Island Stockton Island Gull Island Eagle Island Outer Island Oak Island Sand Island Basswood Island Bear Island Michigan Island Hermit Island Cat Island Otter Island Manitou Island Rocky Island Long Island Ironwood Island York Island Raspberry Island Devils Island South Twin Island North Twin Island
Lighthouses	Michigan Island Light Raspberry Island Light Outer Island Light Sand Island Light Devils Island Light Gull Island Light La Pointe Light Chequamegon Point Light Ashland Harbor Breakwater Light
Shipwrecks	Big Bay sloop City of Ashland D.R. Owen Lucerne Manistee Marquette Moonlight Noquebay Ottawa Pretoria R.G. Stewart Sevona T.H. Camp
Related historic sites	Hadland Fishing Camp Bass Island Brownstone Company Quarry La Pointe Indian Cemetery Manitou Camp Rocky Island Historic District Madeline Island Historical Museum
Protected designation	Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Chequamegon Bay
Communities	Ashland Washburn Bayfield La Pointe Red Cliff Odanah
Related Geographic Aspects	Apostle Islands Bad River Bayfield Peninsula Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Chequamegon Point Light Lake Superior Lake Superior Lowland South Shore of Lake Superior U.S. Route 2 Wisconsin Highway 13 Whittlesey Creek National Wildlife Refuge
Local Native American Tribes	Bad River Red Cliff La Pointe (historical)

Shipwrecks and maritime incidents in 1887
Shipwrecks	20 Jan: Kapunda 8 Aug: City of Ashland 19 Oct: Cheviot 26 Oct: Ada and Ethel December (unknown date): Renown Unknown date: Hallowe'en
Other incidents	19 May: Britannic, Celtic
1886 1888

Coordinates: 46°41′06″N 90°49′31″W / 46.6850°N 90.8252°W / 46.6850; -90.8252