Ivy, 1881
A woody climbing or trailing plant of the genus Hedera, native to the Old World, especially H. helix, with lobed evergreen leaves and berrylike black fruit.
History:
The Ivy began life as the 48-ton, 100-foot steam launch La Belle, built in 1880. She was purchased for the Lighthouse Service in 1881. The Lighthouse Service christened her the Ivy.
She served in the 15th Lighthouse District and was based out of St. Louis. She hit a snag and sank in September 1887 but she was raised and repaired. She was totally wrecked and crushed by the steamer Baton Rouge while at the dock in St. Louis while she was in winter quarters as a result of ice flows in January, 1888. She was declared to be a total loss and her engines were sold for $205.
Sources:
Douglas Peterson. United States Lighthouse Service Tenders, 1840-1939. Annapolis: Eastwind Publishing, 2000.