If you have visited the Edith G. Read Sanctuary beach during low tide, you might have wondered, what is that wooden structure sticking out of the sand? Is it part of the pier? Is it an old Playland attraction? The latter would be correct. It’s actually the remains of the Benjamin F. Packard ship, which was on display at Playland during the 1930s.
The Ship’s History
Originally 244 feet, the Benjamin F. Packard was built in 1883 at the Goss, Sawyer & Packard shipyard and was destroyed by a hurricane in 1983. The boat was named after its builders and was originally designed to carry cargo around Cape Horn (located at the southern tip of Chile), providing transport between the Pacific and Atlantic ports of the Americas. The ship was then owned by Arthur Sewall & Co. Bath and traveled the cargo route for approximately 20 years. The Packard was then sold to the Northwest Fisheries Company of Seattle and later to Booth Fisheries, where it served as a transportation ship for fishing supplies and employees in Alaska. In 1927, the ship was decommissioned. Although attempts were made to give the ship to a museum, the boat spent its final years at Playland Amusement Park. In addition, parts of the captain’s quarters, including restored gold leafed panels, marble and brass fixtures, and plush upholstery, were preserved and given to the Mystic Seaport Museum located in Connecticut, where they are still on display to this day.
The Playland Years
At Playland, the ship served as an attraction and was parked on the outskirts of the amusement park. A “Jolly Roger” flag was run up the mast to make the boat appear pirate-like. Visitors could board the Packard on their way out of the park after riding iconic rides such as the Dragon Coaster, Derby Racer, and the Carousel. Pictured below is the Benjamin F. Packard in its heyday at Playland. Note its proximity to where the Edith Read Sanctuary is located today.
Wisconsin Historical Society, Image ID: 71834
Viewed online at (https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM71834).
Present Day
Unfortunately after the hurricane of 1938, the Benjamin F. Packard was scuttled. The ship was disposed of and the whereabouts of the majority of its components are unknown or gone. But the spine, or keel, one the ship’s foundational components, remains on the shoreline of Edith G. Sanctuary to this day and is visible at low tide. So next time you walk on the beach and wonder: what is that structure doing in the water? You know it’s the remains of the Benjamin F. Packard!
The present day remains of the Benjamin F. Packard at Edith Read
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP0C3_ps9Pw