Lighthouse Dog: The Story of Sport

[lightning crackles]

Narrator: Milwaukee River, 1914. A thunderstorm… Waves battering the sides of a ship… Two crew members spot something in the water. Peering over the side, they see — a small, helpless puppy.

Albert Muchka: They picked up the dog, pulled him aboard, and he became part of the crew. And they named him Sport.

Narrator: Sport, a joyful Newfoundland-retriever mix — with webbed paws. Ship dog of the lighthouse tender Hyacinth — a ship that supplied materials for and helped maintain lighthouses.

Albert Muchka: Tender Hyacinth was specifically built for use here in Milwaukee. It was used to take supplies to some of the offshore lighthouses. It had a crew of 6 officers and 20 to 25 young men.

Narrator: The captain of the Hyacinth was the strong-willed but gentle Captain Harry Maynard, devoted to his ship and crew — hardy young men of the Great Lakes, along with their shipmate who walked on all fours.

Albert Muchka: It was not unusual for these ships to have a mascot. For the lighthouse tender Hyacinth, it was Sport.

Narrator: Sport was no ordinary mascot. With the men of the Hyacinth, Sport crisscrossed all of Lake Michigan. From Port Washington to Pottawatomie, bringing supplies to eager keepers and delight to their children.

Albert Muchka: The men taught him to carry a line, so when they were coming up to a dockage, the dog would jump from the ship onto the dock with a line in his mouth, and then the dock workers could pull in the big hawsers to tie up the ship.

Narrator: But Sport’s life aboard the tender wasn’t all work. There was also time for play.

[bat strikes ball, cheering]

Albert Muchka: Many of the ships would field a baseball team. [bat cracks ball] They would play against the other ships. And Sport was just… a general pleasantness for the men.

Narrator: More than a mascot, Sport was a treasured member of the Hyacinth. He was also a friend.

Albert Muchka: Captain Maynard was an ultimate dog lover. When the end of season came, Sport went and lived with Harry Maynard and his wife, and then every season, came back to the ship.

Narrator: Sport spent the rest of his life with Captain Maynard and the crew of the Hyacinth… until his passing in 1926 at the age of 12. At his funeral, the entire crew turned out in uniform and gave their faithful ship dog a fitting send-off — a burial at sea.

Albert Muchka: Captain Maynard, being such a dog lover and knowing that animal for so many years, wrote an extremely poignant story, telling about the life of the dog on the ship, really outlines the story of that animal and how much it meant to the men on that ship, and especially Captain Maynard.

Narrator: A loving tribute to his friend, Captain Maynard’s story of “Sport, the ship dog,” lived long beyond the golden age of lighthouses, becoming the inspiration for a popular children’s book. [dog barks] Today, Sport continues to inspire children and dog lovers alike with his tale of loyalty and bravery. A plucky canine who helped the dedicated crew of the Hyacinth and kept the lighthouses running all across Lake Michigan.

[music]