Service History
Last Document Surrendered Milwaukee 3/15/1895: "Abandoned"
Final Voyage
"On 10/14/1893, the schooner
Willard A. Smith was caught on the lee shore in a severe gale, and pounded to pieces. The schooner had just loaded a cargo of wood at Anderson's pier in Horseshoe Bay, and would have departed Friday evening, but the
Smith's master elected to wait in the bay as the weather looked threatening. While the schooner was anchored near Anderson's pier waiting out the storm, the wind shifted "into the west" causing her to pound severely. As it was impossible for the
Smith to get away from the pier on account of the direction of the wind, she was abandoned by her crew and soon pounded to pieces."
Today
"Remnants of the
Willard A. Smith were found in 1963 by R.J. Boyd and H.J. Engerson off the present pier at Horseshoe Bay. The ship's kedge anchor was raised from about 20 feet of water. Little is left of the vessel except a few ribs and some planking."