Big News The L Wade Childress Ghost Ship Mystery In Wisconsin

The L. Wade Childress ghost ship in Wisconsin is a complete mystery. Finding a ship in Prairie du Chien isn’t all that odd and, all things considered, doesn’t headline the news. The town of about 6,000 sits just north of the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers, along the state’s western edge about 55 miles north of the state line. As Wisconsin’s second-oldest city, it is strategically located as a gateway between the Mississippi and the Great Lakes. So no, boats and ships aren’t rare here – folks have been traveling the waterways here for centuries. But that still doesn’t help explain why a tugboat that sunk in Fort Madison, Iowa – more than 200 miles south of here – sits in a field near a golf course. Read on to learn more about this ghost ship in Wisconsin.

Prairie du Chien is located approximately 2 hours west of Madison right at the Iowa border.

Flickr/TonyWebster Prairie du Chien has a long history tied to all the water surrounding it, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone that can explain how this old Wisconsin town came to be home to a tugboat that sank in 1985 and now sits “on the hard” and abandoned.

This ship is the L. Wade Childress, a 176-foot boat used as a push boat on the Mississippi River. It was tied up for the winter and got beat by a particularly brutal season of being battered by ice chunks. The boat eventually sank on December 12, 1985, and was raised on March 25, 1986.

Flickr/WisconsinKaasKop It was an early freeze in 1985, according to a Chicago Tribune news article that mentions the sinking of the L. Wade Childress. A site called TowboatGallery says the boat was then converted to a quarterboat. But that’s about the end of the information available about this abandoned ship. It was built in 1948 and there’s a persistent rumor that the plan was to turn this ship into a unique bed and breakfast. But by whom and what happened? That’s the big question.

This ship draws urban explorers, who say the lack of a “No Trespassing” sign means it’s able to be explored.

YouTube One of many abandoned places in Wisconsin, the ship is a shell of its former self, with nothing but empty rooms that are rusted and rotting. Most everything inside is untouched from when it sank. The stove is still there, the bathrooms, and even a fuse box.

There’s something super eerie about the view from the upper captain’s area.

YouTube It’s definitely not difficult to squint a bit and imagine what this tugboat once was, spending 40 years moving up and down the Mississippi River.

Now, it’s a ghost ship with no story. It’s marooned on land just outside of town, on a country road, near a golf course and in view of the water, but never to sail again.

YouTube It stands today as a vestige of the past, a relic of a different time and a thoroughly out-of-place ghost ship.

Flickr/TonyWebster

Prairie du Chien has a long history tied to all the water surrounding it, but there doesn’t seem to be anyone that can explain how this old Wisconsin town came to be home to a tugboat that sank in 1985 and now sits “on the hard” and abandoned.

Flickr/WisconsinKaasKop

It was an early freeze in 1985, according to a Chicago Tribune news article that mentions the sinking of the L. Wade Childress. A site called TowboatGallery says the boat was then converted to a quarterboat. But that’s about the end of the information available about this abandoned ship. It was built in 1948 and there’s a persistent rumor that the plan was to turn this ship into a unique bed and breakfast. But by whom and what happened? That’s the big question.

YouTube

One of many abandoned places in Wisconsin, the ship is a shell of its former self, with nothing but empty rooms that are rusted and rotting. Most everything inside is untouched from when it sank. The stove is still there, the bathrooms, and even a fuse box.

It’s definitely not difficult to squint a bit and imagine what this tugboat once was, spending 40 years moving up and down the Mississippi River.

It stands today as a vestige of the past, a relic of a different time and a thoroughly out-of-place ghost ship.

The beached L. Wade Childress ghost ship in Wisconsin is located at 32800 County Road K, Prairie du Chien, WI.

Have you ever been to see this ghost ship in Wisconsin? If so, what did you think? If you know more about this mystery ship, we’d love to hear about it. Let us know in the comments!

While we’re still on the topic of abandoned things, did you know there’s a failed subdivision and ghost neighborhood in Madison?

Likewise, watch this video about this forgotten town in Wisconsin:

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Address: Prairie du Chien, WI 53821, USA

The OIYS Visitor Center

News Wisconsin January 07, 2023 William Suphan What is the Legend of the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin? The Legend of the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin goes like this: The tiny town of Elkhorn has a road named Bray Road, and in 1936, someone claimed to have seen some kind of hairy creature that looked like a werewolf or a bear. During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a sudden increase in sightings and while descriptions varied, they all agreed that it was some kind of huge, furry creature that can run on all fours and walk on two legs. Discover more about the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin. Why is Whitewater considered the creepiest town in Wisconsin? Here is why Whitewater is considered the creepiest town in Wisconsin: This town is often called a Second Salem due to claims that it is filled with witches. This dates back to 1889 when there were seances at the Morris Pratt Institute and it was said that witches attended these. There is also a book in the Andersen Library that is thought to be evil and drives people to go crazy and kill themselves. There’s a stone tower said to be a ritual site for local witches. Find out more about why Whitewater is the creepiest town in Wisconsin. What are the creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin? The creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin include:

Rhinelander Hodag. Hodags are said to be ugly creatures who cry about their ugliness and come after people. Three things are said to kill them: dynamite, lemons, and chloroform. The Phantom Man on Highway 12. Locals report seeing a hitchhiker wearing a worn-out green army jacket and when they drive past and look in their mirrors, he has disappeared. Bloody Bride Bridge. People crossing this bridge claim to see the ghost of a woman who was killed on her wedding night in their rearview mirror or on the road, and she then disappears.

Learn more about the creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin.

The OIYS Visitor Center

News Wisconsin

January 07, 2023

William Suphan

What is the Legend of the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin? The Legend of the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin goes like this: The tiny town of Elkhorn has a road named Bray Road, and in 1936, someone claimed to have seen some kind of hairy creature that looked like a werewolf or a bear. During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a sudden increase in sightings and while descriptions varied, they all agreed that it was some kind of huge, furry creature that can run on all fours and walk on two legs. Discover more about the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin. Why is Whitewater considered the creepiest town in Wisconsin? Here is why Whitewater is considered the creepiest town in Wisconsin: This town is often called a Second Salem due to claims that it is filled with witches. This dates back to 1889 when there were seances at the Morris Pratt Institute and it was said that witches attended these. There is also a book in the Andersen Library that is thought to be evil and drives people to go crazy and kill themselves. There’s a stone tower said to be a ritual site for local witches. Find out more about why Whitewater is the creepiest town in Wisconsin. What are the creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin? The creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin include:

Learn more about the creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin.

The OIYS Visitor Center

The Legend of the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin goes like this:

The tiny town of Elkhorn has a road named Bray Road, and in 1936, someone claimed to have seen some kind of hairy creature that looked like a werewolf or a bear. During the 1980s and 1990s, there was a sudden increase in sightings and while descriptions varied, they all agreed that it was some kind of huge, furry creature that can run on all fours and walk on two legs.

Discover more about the Beast of Bray Road in Wisconsin.

Why is Whitewater considered the creepiest town in Wisconsin?

Here is why Whitewater is considered the creepiest town in Wisconsin:

This town is often called a Second Salem due to claims that it is filled with witches. This dates back to 1889 when there were seances at the Morris Pratt Institute and it was said that witches attended these. There is also a book in the Andersen Library that is thought to be evil and drives people to go crazy and kill themselves. There’s a stone tower said to be a ritual site for local witches.

Find out more about why Whitewater is the creepiest town in Wisconsin.

What are the creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin?

The creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin include:

Rhinelander Hodag. Hodags are said to be ugly creatures who cry about their ugliness and come after people. Three things are said to kill them: dynamite, lemons, and chloroform.
The Phantom Man on Highway 12. Locals report seeing a hitchhiker wearing a worn-out green army jacket and when they drive past and look in their mirrors, he has disappeared.
Bloody Bride Bridge. People crossing this bridge claim to see the ghost of a woman who was killed on her wedding night in their rearview mirror or on the road, and she then disappears.

Learn more about the creepiest urban legends in Wisconsin.