Sidewheel Steamer Niagara

From 1844 to 1857, lavish vessels known as palace steamers dominated Great Lakes passenger and package trade as the fastest and most dependable transportation between the East and the Midwest before railroads connected these regions. Carrying hundreds of passengers and large cargoes, these opulent boats were considered the pinnacle of Great Lakes passenger service. The Niagara, built in 1846 in Buffalo, New York, was the second of 25 palace steamers to work the lakes, 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, but around 4 p.m. fire broke out, the engines soon quit, and the giant paddlewheels halted. As smoke and flames engulfed the boat 4-5 miles offshore, passengers panicked, and despite rescue efforts more than 60 people died, many by drowning while frantically trying to board the lifeboats, in one of Wisconsin’s deadliest transportation disasters.

Port Washington, Wisconsin · United States