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OBJECT HISTORY: Lifesaving Medal

All along Wisconsin’s 820 miles of Great Lakes shoreline, storms could mean the difference between profit and financial ruin, survival and terrifying death. This lifesaving medal reminds us of the risks that sailors and Wisconsin’s maritime communities have routinely faced since the early 19th century, and it documents the personal bravery, dedication, and ingenuity of those who would rescue their fellows…

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September 9, 2020

Manitowoc / Door County / Kenosha County / Manitowoc County / Milwaukee County / Ozaukee County / Racine County / Sheboygan County / Port Washington / Lifesaving Medal / Milwaukee / Two Rivers / Racine / Kenosha / Sheboygan / Region 5 - Center East / Region 8 - South East / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / Politics, Society & Government / 1840-1860 / Nature & Environment / Transportation & Tourism

Early Lifesaving Stations in Wisconsin

A Slow Beginning As maritime commerce grew in the early 19th century, the loss of vessels and crews to shipwreck increased. In 1848, the federal government, through the United States Revenue Marine, established its first lifesaving stations along the New Jersey coast. The…

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May 21, 2018

Lifesaving Medal / Milwaukee County / Milwaukee / Region 8 - South East / Related Stories / Manufacturing & Trade / 1880-1900 / Nature & Environment / Transportation & Tourism

The Wreck of the Tanner

The Wrecked VesselThe Tanner was a barque, or three-masted ship, whose foremast was square-rigged and whose main-and mizzenmasts were fore-and-aft rigged. It measured 156.38 feet long by 31.75 feet in breadth. The ship was built in 1863 by the Milwaukee shipbuilding firm Ellsworth & Davidson and…

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May 21, 2018

Lifesaving Service crew, about 1910. This image, which was taken by Milwaukee photographer J. Robert Taylor, likely shows the crew of the Milwaukee station. Wisconsin Historical Society Image ID 55832.

The Rescuers of the Tanner

On September 10, 1875, six rescue boat volunteers were dispatched to aid the crew of the Tanner, a cargo ship foundering in Milwaukee Harbor after being struck by a powerful storm. All six of the rescue boat volunteers – but not the captain…

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May 21, 2018