Steambarge Thomas H. Smith was launched in October 1881 from the Rand and Burger shipyard in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It was built for Thomas H. Smith, a principal in the Sturgeon Bay firm Leathem & Smith Lumber company, one of the largest timberland holders around the bay of Green Bay. The Thomas H. Smith was put to work towing and freighting lumber and lumber products between Sturgeon Bay and Chicago with a special boiler constructed to be able to use sawdust as fuel (a radical change from standard steambarges). It consistently made record times shipping for the company, receiving a new steeple-compound engine in 1888 created by Manistee Iron Works that guaranteed a 33 percent saving of fuel and half as much work for stokers and firemen. Although plans were made to convert the ship into a wrecker in 1891, these were never executed; however, the ship did receive renovations increasing its cargo size and seaworthiness multiple times in its service career.
On an especially foggy November 11, 1893, the Thomas H. Smith was towing the schooner William Aldrich at half speed, bound from Chicago to Menominee. It was consistently blowing its fog horn to alert any nearby ships, including the steel steamer Arthur Orr. Both ships attempted to signal a passing with their horns, to little effect. The ships drew visibility on each other with 300 feet between them, a collision was imminent. The crew of twelve on the Thomas H. Smith had time to escape and was taken aboard the Arthur Orr. The Thomas H. Smith was left to sink, the stern slowly sinking as the bow shot up into the air, and finally the streambarge fell to the bottom of Lake Michigan.
The remains of the Thomas H. Smith were located during National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Coast Survey bathometry project. Today the vessel lies broken on the bottom of Lake Michigan with most of its hull components extant and intact. The deck has lifted, and the ship's sides have opened forward of the boiler, exposing the interior structural components, which allowed researchers to examine its construction. The ship's propulsion machinery is intact and in place, and its deck gear, including windlass and starboard anchor, remains on the site.