In 1874, the 60-foot wooden harbor tug E.H. Miller began a 45-year career operating out of Alpena, escorting vessels on the Thunder Bay River and assisting those in distress. The tug was not without her own share of mishaps. In her first year, she burned twice. In October of 1875, the E.H. Miller sank following a boiler explosion, which killed both Captain Edwin H. Miller (the vessel's namesake) and the cook.
In 1876, the remains of the E.H. Miller were raised, repaired, and put back into service. In 1883, the tug was renamed Ralph. The tug assisted the City of Alpena Fire Department on several occasions and even rescued a team of horses that had plunged into the river near the Second Avenue Bridge. She ultimately sank after another fire in 1917. Archeaologists believe the remains of the tug rest underneath the breakwater of the present-day Thunder Bay Shores Marina.
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