1874
The wooden schooner OTTAWA was launched at Grand Haven, Michigan. She was owned by Capt. William R. Loutill and could carry 180,000 feet of lumber.
1885
T S CHRISTIE (wooden propeller, 160 foot, 533 gross tons) was launched at F. W. Wheeler’s yard (Hull #22) in W. Bay City, Michigan. She was built for the Bay City & Cleveland Transportation Company at a cost of $45,000. Originally built as a double-deck vessel, she was cut down to a single decker at Chicago in 1902.
1888
JESSIE MAGGIE (wooden schooner, 63 foot, 49 gross tons) was re-registered as a 2-masted schooner. She was built on a farm in Kilmanagh, Michigan, in 1887, as a 3-masted schooner and she was launched near Sebewaing, Michigan. It took 16 spans of oxen to haul her over frozen ground to the launch site. She lasted until 1904.
1890
The Collins Bay Rafting Company’s tug ALANSON SUMNER (wooden propeller tug, 127 foot, 300 gross tons, built in 1872, at Oswego, New York) burned at Kingston, Ontario. She had $25,000 worth of wrecking machinery onboard. The SUMNER was repaired and put back in service.
1896
Whaleback a.) FRANK ROCKEFELLER (Hull#136) by the American Steel Barge Co., was launched in 1896, for the American Steel barge Co., Pickands, Mather & Co., mgr. Converted to a sand dredge and renamed b.) SOUTH PARK in 1927, and converted to a tanker and renamed c.) METEOR in 1945.
1908
Mutual Steamship Co.’s WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE (Hull#41) was launched by Great Lakes Engineering Works. Renamed b.) S B WAY in 1936 and c.) CRISPIN OGLEBAY in 1948. She was scrapped at Santander, Spain in 1974.
1913
The PERCIVAL ROBERTS JR sailed light on her maiden voyage from Lorain to load ore at Two Harbors, Minnesota.
1925
The ANN ARBOR 4 was back in service after running aground on February 13th off Kewaunee, Wisconsin.
1941
The CANADIAN SIGNALLER was built at Collingwood as Hull 63 in 1919. It was torpedoed and sunk as d) POLYANA by U-103 en route from from Sunderland, UK to Freetown, Sierre Leone, with a cargo of coal. It was attacked just before midnight April 24 and sank in the early hours on this date with all 25 on board being lost.
1942
Pittsburgh Steamship Co.’s BENJAMIN F. FAIRLESS (Hull#824) was launched by American Ship Building Co.
1949
CSL’s, GRAINMOTOR collided with the abutment of the railroad bridge above Lock 2 of the Lachine Canal.
1954
CSL’s, T.R. MC LAGAN entered service. At 714 feet 6 inches, she took the title for longest vessel on the Great Lakes from the JOSEPH H. THOMPSON, beating the THOMPSON by three inches. The THOMPSON had held the honor since November 4, 1952. MC LAGAN was renamed b.) OAKGLEN in 1990, and was scrapped at Alang, India in 2004.
1958
Hall Corp. of Canada’s bulk canaller a.) ROCKCLIFFE HALL (Hull#615) was launched by Davie Shipbuilding & Repair Ltd. Converted to a tanker in 1972, renamed b.) ISLAND TRANSPORT, and c.) ENERCHEM LAKER in 1987.
1968
The Misener steamer EVERETTON ran aground in the St. Lawrence. Although the damage was considered minor, the ship was sold to Marine Salvage for scrap, resold to Spanish shipbreakers and arrived under tow at Bilbao, on September 23, 1968, for dismantling.
1973
The self-unloading boom on Canada Steamship Lines a.) TADOUSSAC of 1969, collapsed while she was at Sandusky, Ohio. She sails today as b.) CSL TADOUSSAC.
1973
It was announced that the CITY OF SAGINAW 31 would be scrapped after a fire destroyed her cabin deck in 1971.
1981
Interlake Steamship’s WILLIAM J. DE LANCEY (Hull#909) of American Ship Building Co. was christened. Renamed b.) PAUL R. TREGURTHA in 1990.
1998
The wooden goelettes MONT NOTRE DAME and MONT ROYAL were destroyed by a fire at St. Joseph-de-la-Rive, Quebec, where they were being preserved ashore as museum ships. MONT NOTRE DAME was one of the first units in the Transport Desgagnes fleet while MONT ROYAL was known to have been a Great Lakes visitor.
Contributors & Sources
Skip Gillham, Joe Barr, Dave Swayze, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II, and the Great Lakes Ships We Remember series from the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.
Compiled & Maintained by Roger LeLievre
