Tanner Maritime Trails Marker - Lakeshore State Park
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Tanner Shipwreck Maritime Trails Marker
 
Attraction
Description
Marker is located along the Hank Aaron State Trail in Lakeshore State Park.
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Marker Narrative Text:
Tanner Shipwreck

At 10 p.m. on September 9, 1875, the Tanner departed Milwaukee for Buffalo, N.Y., with a cargo of wheat. Upon leaving the harbor, she was truck by a squall that stripped the vessel of much of her canvas. The Tanner dropped anchor off the harbor piers at the entrance to the river (off present day Greenfield Avenue). Initial attempts to tow the vessel back into the river by tug failed. At 4 a.m., Tanner’s anchor dragged and the ship was carried into the pier pilings, which broke her keel just forward of the mizzenmast. The vessel sank to her deck, and Captain M.D. Howard and the crew of nine were forced into the rigging.

At daybreak, the U.S. Revenue Cutter Andrew Johnson attempted a rescue of the men but failed to reach the ship. The Tanner’s captain and the cook jumped overboard and swam for shore. The cook survived with assistance, however the captain drowned shortly after leaving the ship. A local rescue then ensued with the use of a dump scow from the shipyard of Wolfe & Davidson and the small workboat from the steamer Amazon. The tug J.J. Hagerman was used as a breakwater. As the scow and yawl drifted alongside the Tanner, the remaining eight crew dropped into the water one at a time and were picked up by the yawl, which was drawn up to the scow and was, in turn, towed to shore where the victims received treatment. All six of the volunteer rescuers received Second Class Life-Saving Medals from the U.S. Life-Saving Service.

Congress had authorized a lifesaving Station for Milwaukee several years prior to the Tanner accident, but funding and progress in building the station was slow. Because of Tanner’s loss, an appeal was made for immediate action and in the spring of 1876, a U.S. Life Boat Station was erected at a cost of $5,000. On May 7, 1876, Station No. 10 opened for its first season. The station’s first Keeper was Henry M. Lee, one of the heroes of the Tanner rescue.
 
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