Kewaunee Area Chamber of Commerce

Made for World War II, the Tug Ludington was built at Jacobson Shipyard in Oyster Bay, New York. In February 1943, the keel was laid and the tug was finally finished in October of that same year.

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The U.S. Army accepted and christened the tug “Major Wilbur F. Browder”, and designated the tug LT-4. The tug’s armament consisted of two 50 caliber machine guns mounted above the chartroom and pilothouse.

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The tug participated in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, towing ammunition barges across the English Channel. After Normandy, it traveled to Cherbourg, France to assist in harbor operations until being sent to Plymouth, England until the end of the war. After the war, it joined the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and returned to Norfolk, Virginia, where it performed various towing missions on the Eastern seaboard.

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In 1947, The Corps of Engineers transferred the tug to Kewaunee, WI and then renamed it the “Tug Ludington”. While in Kewaunee, it was used in the construction and maintenance of many harbors on the Great Lakes. The Tug has towed a wide variety of floating equipment. It is estimated that the Tug has hauled over 1 million tons of cargo.

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The Tug now rests in Harbor Park, in Downtown Kewaunee, and is open to visitors from Memorial Day Weekend until Labor Day. The Tug is registered in the National and State Register of Historic Places.

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Notice to Visitors to the Tug…

• Visitors enter the Tug Ludington at their own risk.

• Always use hand rails. Watch for low overheads, and high thresholds.

• Everyone is urged to exercise care at all times, using special precautions in hazardous areas.

• Children must always be accompanied by an adult responsible for their safety.

• Failure to comply with these instructions will result in cancellation of visiting privileges.

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Any questions, or to book a large group, call Kewaunee City Hall at (920) 388-5000.