USS Sachem Ruins

USS Sachem, known by several other names in the history (Sightseer, The Celt, and USS Phenakite), had a successful run before finally being abandoned in Indiana in 1987. The ship served during both the World Wars, carried Thomas Edison around while he experimented, attended re-lighting of the Statue of Liberty by Ronald Reagan, and guest appeared in “Papa Don’t Preach” alongside Madonna. First launched in 1902 as The Celt, the celebrity vessel was first intended to serve as a luxury ride, before being rechristened to USS Sachem by the Navy to fight against the Germans. After the war ended, Sachem was returned to its civilian owners, only to be re-acquired and renamed as Phenakite to serve against the Japanese in World War II. Eventually, the ship saw one last ray of spotlight in Madonna’s music video before being navigated and stranded down the Ohio River.