The Sailing Adventures of Captain Charles E. Morbeck & Captain Joseph A. La Gue
Each month in our corresponding YouTube channel, “Bay View: Town of Lake CAPTAINS!” we post videos about two of the total 71 lake captains that once called Bay View home.
Not found on those videos are the sailing adventures of these captains. While these can be found in the chapter of each captain in the book, “Bay View: Town of Lake CAPTAINS!” on sale now by Volume in both e-book and paperback on Amazon.com, we decided to also include them here in the newsletter for double the coverage because these are so interesting! These stories can also be combined with the free-self guided walking tours of Bay View’s lake captains’ homes on our website, historicbayviewlakecaptainssociety.com, using you phone! Check it out!
This month’s documented sailing adventures are designated for Captain Charles E. Morbeck and Captain Joseph A. La Gue. They’re placed under the photo and address of each one’s Bay View homes so it’s possible to know what sailing adventures they had while actually lived there. Enjoy!
The Sailing Adventures of Captain Charles E. Morbeck (1862 - 1903)
His First Home in Bay View (1898-99)
106 East Clarence Street
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living Here
Above: the schooner Vermont, probable 1898-99; Sailing adventures as captain: none reported
Photo courtesy of the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University.
His Second Home in Bay View (1900-01)
2456 South Burrell Street
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living Here
Above: the schooner Vermont, probable 1900-01; Sailing adventures as captain: In November 1900, sank in a storm at Big Bay De Noc, 80 miles northeast of Green Bay on the southwest corner of Michigan’s upper peninsula, bound for Milwaukee with a cargo of Christmas trees, none of the crew (including probable Charles and brother Rudolph Morbeck) were reported injured. The ship was subsequently raised and returned to service. 17 It’s possible Hans Hansen may have then sold the Vermont to Charles and Rudolph Morbeck in late 1900 after this accident, but certainly before the 1901 sailing season. This is the second Christmas tree ship captained by Charles Morbeck, this one while he lived in Bay View (the first before coming to Bay View, the schooner Southside described below).
Photo courtesy of the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University.
His Ships and Sailing Adventures Before Bay View
Not pictured (no photo discovered): The schooner Vernie M. Blake, 1889; Sailing adventures while captain: On 14-15 July 1889, while at anchor with no one aboard, dragged anchor in the wind and hit the yacht White Wings and damaged it, tearing it from its anchor heading towards a collision with the breakwater. Both were rescued and towed back to anchor by the US Lifesaving service, no injuries reported. 18
Not pictured (no photo discovered): The schooner South Side, 1893-94; Sailing adventures while captain: On 11 December 1893: “The crew of the little schooner South Side were rescued last night by a lumber company’s tug from this port (Annapee, WI) while trying to enter the harbor in their yawl boat through heavy ice. The South Side was bound to Milwaukee with a cargo of cedar posts and Christmas trees. When off Bailey’s Harbor, she began to leak and the efforts of the crew at the pumps were not sufficient to keep the water down. Soon the little boat was filled, but being loaded with wood did not sink and rolled helplessly in the heavy sea. The ice rapidly accumulated on the deck, and the crew were forced to take to the one yawl boat. They had drifted by this time so that they were opposite this port. They rowed toward the harbor lights but soon encountered the ice pack and were unable to proceed further. A lumber company’s tug from Manistee was in port and, hearing the calls from the imperiled men, at once went to their relief. The men were nearly exhausted and were only taken aboard the tug with the utmost difficulty. The South Side is owned by Charles Morbach (Morbeck), who sailed her, and Sturgeon Bay people. The cargo is owned by Theodore Plathner of Milwaukee. Both boat and cargo will be a total loss. Of interest, the crew of the South Side had spent the previous week cutting down the trees themselves on Washington Island and were bound for Milwaukee with all the trees. 19
Above: the schooner Minnehaha (center ship shown, likely 1890-97, co-owned with brother Rudolph), tied up next to the schooner Vermont which Charles Morbeck would later serve on as mate and brother Rudolph as probable crew to fellow Bay Viewer captain Hans Hansen in June 1900, and purchased from him and both would co-own and co-captain just a month or so later. There are several schooners named Minnehaha and, while it is unknown if this is the Morbeck’s, it is probable due to its being tied up to the Vermont in this photo which IS confirmed as connected to them just a couple years later. A later news article states the Minnehaha had three masts, however, no Minnehaha of record had three, just several with two and another with four. It’s probable the article was referring to the Vermont when discussing a three-masted schooner connected to Rudolph Morbeck (photo: Richard J. Wright, Bowling Green State University, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Thunder Bay Research Collection); Sailing adventures while captain (probably alternating as captain with brother Rudolph who was certainly captain during 1893-94 when Charles left briefly to command the South Side): none reported.
His Ships and Sailing Adventures After Bay View
Above: the schooner Tennie and Laura (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons; Public Domain), 1903; Sailing adventures as First Mate: the following is taken directly from Wikipedia: 20 “On August 2, 1903, the Tennie and Laura was sailing from Muskegon, Michigan to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, carrying a cargo of lumber worth roughly $500 at the time. The ship was crewed by two men, Captain John Sather and First Mate Charles Morbeck. About nine miles from Port Washington, Wisconsin, the Tennie and Laura was caught in a storm. The ship eventually capsized, and Mate Morbeck died. Captain Sather survived long enough to be rescued by the steamer Covell. 21 At the time of the accident, the ship was valued at $500.” 22 23 The schooner today is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 24
The Sailing Adventures of Captain Joseph A. La Gue (1868-1944)
His First Home in Bay View (1908)
354 South Bay Street (left door)
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living at 354 S. Bay St
Above: the Milwaukee Fire Department Fireboat No. 17, 1908: Sailing adventures while captain: none discovered, however of interest is that this fellow Bay View Captain Hugh Clark was killed in an accident aboard this fireboat in late September 1906, and it’s possible that Joseph La Gue took over as captain after this accident but this is not confirmed. La Gue is documented to have been captain of No. 17 in 1908, but it’s possible he could have taken over in 1906 since he is confirmed as a “marine capt” in 1906 and the ship is not known.
Photo courtesy the Historical Collections of the Great Lakes, Bowling Green State University.
His Second Home in Bay View (1910)
343 South Bay Street (torn down)
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living at 343 S. Bay St.
Above: the Milwaukee Fire Department fireboat No. 23, 1910. Sailing adventures as captain: none discovered. Photo source: Wikipedia Commons, Public Domain
His Third Home in Bay View (1927-33)
2501 East Oklahoma Avenue
His Ships and Sailing Adventures While Living at 2501 E. Oklahoma Ave.
Captain of the Milwaukee Fire Department fireboat No. 29, 1931-32 (no photo discovered). Sailing adventures as captain: none discovered.
His Ships and Sailing Adventures Before and After Bay View
Captain La Gue moved back and forth to Bay View twice. His ship(s) are unknown before Bay View, but there are two fireboats (Tenno/Torrent) that he captained while going back and forth between Milwaukee and Bay View as follows: 1911, captain, MFD Engine 23 (see photo above); 1923-24, captain, the probable fireboat Tenno/Torrent (no photo discovered). There are no sailing adventures on either fireboat while he was captain.
