Lady Forest - Sidewheeler

The LADY FOREST was built in 1885 by Captain Morris. It was a sidewheeler but did not prove successful and was junked in the late 1890's. Its hull lay for some time near the railway and depot.

1885 - Newly built and launched by Capt. Morris. A side wheeler 50 by 14. Was first named Welcome. Was junked in the 1890's. Said to have ran at an angle. The hull laid for a long time near the railway depot.

The boat Is 55 feet from bow to stern, 18 feet wide, and is provlded for the comfort and safety of passengers. It cost about $3,000. Captain Morns {Morris} is to be congratulated on the consummation of his heart's desire, and it is to be hoped he may reap a rich harvest from his investment - Logansport Weekly Pharos

An account of its launching in April 1885 has been found as follows:

A Delightful Retreat

There was a gay gathering of jolly young people to the number of about a hundred at Lake Maxinkuckee, on the Vandalia line, a few miles below Plymouth last Saturday afternoon.

The occasion was the launching of a fine new sidewheel steamer built by Capt. Morris, the well known boat builder, who has dotted this beautiful la,e all over with] yachts and steamers.

The steamer just launched was built for use of excursion parties that will visit the lake this summer.

It will easily carry from 75 to 100 passengers and is a very pretty craft, showing fine workmanship.

The launching was witnessed by delegations from Plymouth, Logansport and various towns along the line of the Vandalia. As it is only recently that South Beend has been connected with this beautiful lake by direct route, it is safe to presume that it is comparatively unknown to a good portion of out people.

It is, in fact, one of the prettiest summer resorts in the state and now that the extension of the Vandalia has opened up direct communication between it and the cities in the northern part of the state thereis not doubt but that it will becomes very popular resort this summer.

Its possiblities, as a pleasure resort, have only been partially developed.

The quiet little hamlet on its borders contains a number of boarding houses and board can be obtained in many of the private families.

The Vandalia company also contemplate the erection of a fine summer hotel new the vale for the accommodation of those who want to spend the heated term on it cool banks and enjoy the lake rides and fishing.

The lake abounds in fish and this is one of the attractions to the leasure seeker.

There are quite a number of boat houses and club houses on the borders of the lake containing various kinds of steamers, yachts and row-boats for the use of visitors to the lake.

The ride arpund the lake for which the passenger pays 25 cents, is about 12 miles, and excursion parties can charter boats and steamers for the day at small expenses.

The trip on the Vandalia from SOuth Bend is not tediously long, and the uniform courtesy and politeness of the train men make this a leasant feature of the visit to Maxinkuckee lake. - April 28 1885 - South Bend Tribune.

The New Steamer

May 6, 1885 - Plymouth Democrat: "Capt. Morris launched his new side-wheel steamer in Lake Maxenkuckee last Saturday.

About fifty Plymouth people went down on the afternoon train to witness the event, and some two or three hundred people from Marmont, Maxenkuckee and about the lake were also interested spectators.

A heavy rain came on about the time the boat was ready to be slid off into the water, and those who could not get under shelter were wet through and through.

The preparations for the launching of the boat had been so well arranged that but litte difficulty was met with in getting it off. By the time the boat was in the water steam was up, the machinery set in motion, and it moved away like a thing of life. Everytning worked to perfection. As we remember it.

Koontz, J. H. (Mortgagor) Shakes, Thomas (Mortgagee) on 12 Aug. 1891 for the amount of 200.00 on Und. 1/2 of steamboat Lady Forest

Walters, Daniel G. (Mortgagor) Tyler, Nusel P.; Armstrong, William S. (Mortgagee) on 12 May 1891 for the amount of 336.40 of nd. 1/2 of steam boat "Lady Forest
1899 - June 30 - The old side-wheeler which has been an eyesore to the people for the last eight or ten years, as it laid in a delapidated condition upon a sand bar near Kreuzberger Park, was burned this week by the section men. This was one of the f irst boats that ever plowed the waters of Lake Maxenkuckee, and was a daisy in its palmy days

Clemens O. Mueller of Indianapolis and long-time East Side resident, writes that the first steamer was a side-wheeler, "Lady Forest", junked in the late 1890's and whose hulk lay half-sumerged near the rairoad trestle in from the Kreutzbergers "of hallowed memory" - 24 Apr 1957 - Citizen