Today in Great Lakes History – July 11

1873
1873:  The PERSIA, a 150-foot passenger/package freight vessel, was launched at Melancthon Simpson’s shipyard at St. Catharines, Ontario. She was built at a cost of $37,000. She lasted until the 1920s when she was converted to a barge and then abandoned.

1888
1888:  The two-mast wooden schooner JOHN TIBBETS was carrying coal on Lake Erie when she foundered in the shallows near Clear Creek, 7 miles west of Port Rowan, Ontario, and then broke up in the storm waves. Her crew made it to shore in the yawl. She was built in 1863 at Clayton, New York, on the hull of the Canadian schooner PERSEVERANCE, which was originally built in 1855.

1903
1903:  MONTEZUMA (three-mast wooden schooner-barge, 341 feet, 2,722 gross tons) was launched at the John Davidson shipyard (Hull #102) in West Bay City, Michigan. She was one of the largest wooden vessels ever built. It was later stated in the press that the reason Davidson’s last large vessels took so long to build was the difficulty in obtaining the required large oak timbers and their expense. As steel went down in price, wood went up, and Davidson’s last hulls cost as much as comparably-sized steel ones. At the time of launching this vessel, the Davidson shipyard announced that it would not build any more wooden freight vessels.

1915
1915:  CHOCTAW, en route from Cleveland to Duluth with a cargo of coal, sank following a collision with the WAHCONDAH in foggy Lake Huron. All on board were saved.

1940
1940:  WILLIAM F. STIFEL ran aground in the St. Clair River near Port Lambton and was struck by the ALBERT E. HEEKIN.

1943
1943:  The new MacArthur Lock was formally opened to traffic. The first boat to lock through during the ceremonies was the upbound CARL D. BRADLEY under the command of Captain F.F. Pearse. There were 250 dignitaries and passengers aboard the Bradley during the lockage. The first downbound vessel was the new LEON FRASER of the Pittsburgh Steamship fleet.

1943
1943:  On July 11, 1943 the ENDERS M. VOORHEES became the first downbound vessel to transit the newly built MacArthur Lock at the Soo.

1962
1962:  The EDWARD L. RYERSON carried a record cargo of 24,445 tons of iron ore through the newly opened Rock Cut Channel. The new channel increased allowable depths by 26 inches to 25 feet 7 inches.

1964
1964:  CHEMBARGE NO. 4, formerly a) JUDGE KENEFICK and b) H.J. McMANUS, was towed out into Lake Huron by ATOMIC and ABURG and scuttled in deep water about 16 miles off Goderich after sulphuric acid began leaking into the bilges of the recently-converted tanker barge.

1979
1979:  The INDIANA HARBOR was christened.

2007
2007:  CANADIAN NAVIGATOR lost power and went aground in mud off Courtright, and six tugs were needed to pull the ship free.

Data from: Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Russ Plumb, Mike Nicholls, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit. Compiled by Roger LeLievre.

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