The last History Mystery question: Southport hardware store merchant David Blish became a hero during the sinking of what Great Lakes steamer in 1847?

The answer: The Phoenix, which tragically caught fire and sank eight miles off Sheboygan on Nov. 21, 1847.

Blish, the 33-year-old father of four, had returned to the East Coast on a business trip to manufacturing sites to restock his store with nails and other hardware.

In September 1847, he went by steamship to the west end of the Erie Canal, traversed its length, and after concluding his purchases, reversed the process on the journey home.

He boarded the steamship Phoenix on Nov. 10 in Buffalo, N.Y. Two-thirds of the nearly 300 passengers were steerage immigrants — men, women and children from Holland, making their way to Wisconsin.

For the 144-foot-long Phoenix, the trip was uneventful until it passed through the Mackinac Straits where foul weather tossed the steamship for nine days, putting it behind schedule.

On Nov. 20, Blish was looking forward to returning to his family the following night, but that was not to be.

In the early morning hours of Nov. 21, the boiler overheated, starting the wood wall of the boiler room afire. Most of the sailors had overindulged at a saloon in Manitowoc and kept feeding cordwood into the overheated boiler in an effort to meet the sleeping captain’s directive of “full speed ahead.”

A passenger with boiler experience could hear the dire whistling of the engine and knew it was low on water and in desperate need of attention. He tried to warn the crew, but they wouldn’t listen.

When the cry of “Fire” was heard, the wooden ship’s fate already was sealed. There were only three small lifeboats and the lake water was icy cold.

Blish helped organize a bucket brigade, but the fire began eating its way in two different directions.

When it became apparent that the fire was out of control, he went into the smoke-filled steerage sleeping compartments and led women and children to the hatch. Twice more he lowered himself into the darkness and rescued more people.

In Sheboygan, the blaze could be seen, and the cries of the terrified heard, but it would be an hour before the small steamer Delaware could stoke its cold boiler and rush to the Phoenix’s aid.

Blish assisted people into the lifeboats and tried to hold back the growing panic. He threw items into the water in hopes that people could hang on to floating pieces.

The flames became bolder, licking at their night clothes; some caught fire. Many were forced to choose death by fire or by hypothermia in the cold water.

Blish did his best, encouraging, aiding and consoling to the very last.

With his singed hair and seared clothing, he jumped overboard holding an abandoned little girl. He was last seen helping two children cling to a piece of wreckage.

His body was never recovered.

Only 43 people in two leaky lifeboats survived. Three more were plucked from the water by the Delaware crew. A third lifeboat sank; the Hollanders had been seen desperately using their wooden shoes to bail out the water.

This week’s mystery: What national women’s organization with a chapter in Kenosha was formed by women whose children answered the nation’s call to military service?