Today in Great Lakes History – August 15

Today in Great Lakes History – August 15

1856 The WELLAND (sidewheel steamer, wood, passenger-package freight, 145 feet, 300 tons, built in 1853 at St. Catharines, Ontario) burned to a total loss at her dock at Port Dalhousie, Ontario. She was owned by Port Dalhousie and Thorold Railroad Co. 1873 Thomas...
Today in Great Lakes History – August 14

Today in Great Lakes History – August 14

1871 The 149-foot bark MARY E. PEREW was found floating west of the Manitou Islands by the propeller MONTGOMERY. The PEREW had been sailing to Milwaukee with a load of coal when a storm came upon her so quickly on August 8 (nearly a week before MONTGOMERY found her)...
Today in Great Lakes History – August 13

Today in Great Lakes History – August 13

1887 The 272-foot, 1,740-gross-ton, wooden propeller freighter SITKA was launched by F.W. Wheeler (Hull #32) at West Bay City, Michigan. 1899 H.G. CLEVELAND (wooden schooner, 137 feet, 264 tons, built in 1867 at Black River, Ohio) sank with a full load of limestone 7...
Today in Great Lakes History – August 12

Today in Great Lakes History – August 12

1882 FLORIDA (three-mast wooden schooner, 352 tons, built in 1875 at Batiscan, Ontario) was carrying 662 tons of coal from Black River to Toronto when she sprang a leak and sank 12 miles from Port Maitland, Ontario. She hailed from Quebec and was constructed mostly of...
Today in Great Lakes History – August 11

Today in Great Lakes History – August 11

1862 B.F. BRUCE (wooden propeller passenger steamer, 110 feet, 169 tons, built in 1852 at Buffalo, New York, as a tug) was carrying staves when she caught fire a few miles off Port Stanley, Ontario, in Lake Erie. She was run to the beach, where she burned to a total...
Today in Great Lakes History – August 10

Today in Great Lakes History – August 10

1890 TWO FANNIES (three-mast wooden bark, 152 feet, 492 gross tons, built in 1862 at Peshtigo, Wisconsin) was carrying 800 tons of iron ore on Lake Erie when a seam opened in rough weather. The crew kept at the pumps to no avail. They all made it off of the vessel...