Inscription
BURIED here are the bodies of nine unidentified members of the crew of the Steamer Vernon, which foundered off Two Rivers in a violent storm the night of October 28-29, 1887. Forty persons were aboard the vessel. Only one, a stoker survived. He suffered permanent mental impairment, presumably as a result of his experiences, and was committed
to the State Hospital at Winnebago, where he died.
Two Rivers fishing tugs recovered nineteen bodies from the lake during the day following the sinking, and all were brought to the community city hall and fire station
in Central Park, which served as a morgue. Ten of the bodies were identified and claimed by relatives; the remaining nine were then interred by municipal
officials.
Subsequently the stone monument was erected with funds raised by popular subscription in the community.
The Vernon was a wooden propeller-driven steamer, carrying both freight and passengers, of a type which was common on the lakes prior to the advent of the
automobile and motor truck, which finally drove the packet ship out of business. It was operated by Northern Michigan Line, the vessels of which traded between Chicago
and the north Michigan ports.
When lost, the Vernon was enroute from Charlevoiz, Michigan, to Chicago.
The wooden rudder of the Vernon, salvaged from the lake some time after her sinking, now stands as a marker at the entrance to a tavern on the Sandy Bay Road, between
Two Rivers and Point Beach State Park.
PROVIDED BY TWO RIVERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY'# 1965
to the State Hospital at Winnebago, where he died.
Two Rivers fishing tugs recovered nineteen bodies from the lake during the day following the sinking, and all were brought to the community city hall and fire station
in Central Park, which served as a morgue. Ten of the bodies were identified and claimed by relatives; the remaining nine were then interred by municipal
officials.
Subsequently the stone monument was erected with funds raised by popular subscription in the community.
The Vernon was a wooden propeller-driven steamer, carrying both freight and passengers, of a type which was common on the lakes prior to the advent of the
automobile and motor truck, which finally drove the packet ship out of business. It was operated by Northern Michigan Line, the vessels of which traded between Chicago
and the north Michigan ports.
When lost, the Vernon was enroute from Charlevoiz, Michigan, to Chicago.
The wooden rudder of the Vernon, salvaged from the lake some time after her sinking, now stands as a marker at the entrance to a tavern on the Sandy Bay Road, between
Two Rivers and Point Beach State Park.
PROVIDED BY TWO RIVERS HISTORICAL SOCIETY'# 1965
Details
| HM Number | HM1KGV |
|---|---|
| Tags | |
| Historical Period | 19th Century |
| Historical Place | Memorial |
| Marker Type | Memorial |
| Marker Class | Historical Marker |
| Marker Style | Free Standing |
| Year Placed | 1965 |
| Placed By | Two Rivers Historical Society |
| Marker Condition | No reports yet |
| Date Added | Wednesday, May 13th, 2015 at 9:38am PDT -07:00 |
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] CHRIS RAND
Locationbig map
| UTM (WGS84 Datum) | 16T E 454120 N 4889448 |
|---|---|
| Decimal Degrees | 44.15680100, -87.57375700 |
| Degrees and Decimal Minutes | N 44° 9.4081', W 87° 34.4254' |
| Degrees, Minutes and Seconds | 44° 9' 24.4836" N, 87° 34' 25.5252" W |
| Driving Directions | Google Maps |
| Area Code(s) | 920 |
| Can be seen from road? | No |
| Is marker in the median? | No |
| Which side of the road? | Marker is on the right when traveling North |
| Closest Postal Address | At or near 2401-2499 WI-147, Two Rivers WI 54241, US |
| Alternative Maps | Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap |
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