Anthony Wayne was built in 1837 by Samuel Hubbell for the Perrysburg & Miami Steamboat Company in Perrysburg, OH. Wayne, with its cargo of passengers and packet freight, plied the waters of the upper lakes, making frequent stops at Buffalo, Cleveland, Toledo, Detroit, Milwaukee, and Chicago. In 1847, the vessel was deemed too decrepit to continue on as a steamer and plans were enacted to convert it to a sailing barge. Wayne was then sold to Charles B. Howard & Company, at which point it was hauled to Trenton, MI where the hull was extensively rebuilt, old machinery removed, and a new engine and boilers added. The newly refurbished steamer spent the rest of its career on Lake Erie servicing the shipping route from Toledo to Buffalo.
On the night of April 27th, 1850, Wayne was making its usual run from Toledo to Buffalo carrying a cargo of passengers and a cargo of whiskey, wine, and livestock. The steamer stopped at Sandusky to pick up more passengers and left the dock around 9pm. Shortly after midnight, Wayne was passing Vermilion, OH when the two starboard-side boilers suddenly exploded. The ill-fated steamer was immediately engulfed in flames and quickly sank to the bottom of Lake Erie, as crew and passengers struggled for survival. Out of the nearly 100 people on-board, 38 people were reported as killed or missing. The tragedy of Anthony Wayne reached towns and cities all along Lake Erie's coast, and its story of survival and loss quickly became prominent amongst the many shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.
The side-wheel passenger and cargo steamer, Anthony Wayne (also known as General Wayne and Mad Anthony) circa 1838. Image courtesy of the Great Lakes Historical Society.