Calvin & Co

Calvin & Co.: A Legacy in Kingston’s Maritime Industry

Calvin & Co. was a pivotal shipping firm in Kingston, Ontario, with origins rooted in the 19th century. Founded by members of the Calvin family, notably John and Charles Calvin, the firm grew into one of the most influential maritime businesses along the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River. They initially focused on transporting timber, one of Canada’s most valuable exports, but later diversified, managing shipbuilding, tugboat operations, and cargo transport.

Expansion and Key Contributions

Calvin & Co. established itself in Kingston, a central port city with strategic access to Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Kingston’s ideal location allowed the firm to serve routes that connected cities across Canada and the United States, making it a crucial hub for trade. The company’s operations often included log rafting, hauling freight, and towing barges, notably utilizing strong, reliable steam-powered vessels, which they converted from older vessels when needed. One of their most famous ships, William IV, was converted to a tugboat under their ownership, symbolizing their adaptive approach and commitment to operational longevity.

Impact and Innovations in Shipbuilding

In addition to shipping operations, Calvin & Co. invested heavily in shipbuilding and maintenance, working with local craftsmen and shipbuilders. Their influence extended to designing vessels adapted to the unique demands of Great Lakes navigation, such as ice-strengthened hulls and shallow drafts for effective cargo transport along river systems. The company’s foresight and commitment to durability helped set standards in the regional shipbuilding industry, making Kingston a vital part of Canada’s maritime history.

Enduring Legacy and Historical Significance

Calvin & Co. represents a formative chapter in Kingston’s maritime history, highlighting the region’s role in advancing shipping, timber transport, and industrial adaptability. Today, the legacy of Calvin & Co. endures in historical records, maritime museums, and the local economy they helped shape, serving as a reminder of Kingston’s once-dominant position in the Great Lakes shipping industry.

The Calvin & Co. fleet along with key details:

• Queen Victoria – Schooner, 133 tons, built 1839, burnt 1883 Garden Island Graveyard
• Prince Edward – Steamer, built 1840, renamed City of Kingston in 1847
• Raftsman – Steamer, built 1840
• Marion Cook – Schooner, built 1840
• Minerva Cook – Schooner, built 1840, Sunk near Oswego NY
• William Penn – Schooner, built 1840, wrecked 1856
• Hannah Counter – Schooner, 136 tons, built 1845, wrecked 1851
• Glasgow – Barge, 116 tons, built 1847
• Liverpool – Barge
• Caroline – Barge, built 1848
• Prescott – Steamer, 258 tons, built 1849, scrapped 1870
• Marion – Steamer, built 1849
• London – Brigantine, built 1852
• William Ford – Schooner, built 1853
• Advance – River Barge, built 1854
• Wellington – Steamer, built 1856, sank 1881
• Hercules – Steamer, built 1858, burnt 1891 – Garden Island Graveyard
• Mary Beck – Schooner, built 1858
• Southampton – Barkentine, built 1860, sank 1904
• William – Tug, 428 tons, built 1860, scrapped 1878
• Quebec – Barge, built 1862
• M. L. Breck – Schooner, built 1863, wrecked 1907
• John Bredin – Schooner, built 1863
• Laura E. Calvin – Schooner, built 1863, sank 1869
• McDonald – Steamer, built 1865
• Plymouth – Schooner, built 1854 Lost Ireland 1879
• John A. McDonald – Large Tug, built 1866
• Henry Roney – Schooner, built 1868, lost 1879
• Hiram Calvin – Steamer, built 1868, burnt 1895
• Bella – Barge, built 1870
• Sweden – Schooner, built 1870, sank 1877
• Cayuga – Barge, built 1870
• Oneida – Schooner/Barge, built 1870
• Onondaga – Barge, built 1870. – Sunk Galloo
• Jennie – Schooner, built 1871
• Seneca – Barge, built 1871
• Mohawk – Schooner/Barge, built 1872
• Norway – Schooner, built 1873, sank 1880
• Chieftain – Steamer, built 1874, scrapped 1912 – Garden Island Breakwall
• Siberia – Schooner, built 1874, sank 1883
• Traveller – Large Tug, built 1875
• Cherokee – Barge, built 1876
• Garden Island – Bark, built 1877, later renamed Trio, wrecked 1907
• Bavaria – Schooner, built 1878, wrecked 1898
• William Johnston – Tug, built 1878. – Scuttled Wolfe Island Graveyard
• Prussia – Schooner, built 1879, later Cyrenian
• Hiawatha – Barge, built 1881
• Huron – Barge, built 1881
• D. D. Calvin – Steamer, built 1883, burnt 1910. Garden Island Graveyard
• Dakota – Barge, built 1885, wrecked 1926
• Denmark – Schooner, built 1888, wrecked
• Oriental – Schooner, built 1888
• Valencia – Schooner, built 1888
• Ceylon – Steamer, built 1891, scrapped 1943
• Lapwing – Barge, built 1892, sank 1932
• Augustus – Schooner, built 1893 – Snake Island Graveyard
• Reginald – Tug, built 1894, burned 1941
• Jack – Steam Barge, built 1895, later Bothnia, lost 1912
• Parthia – Tug, built 1896, abandoned 1914 – Garden Island Graveyard
• India – Steam Barge, built 1899, burnt 1928 Garden Island Graveyard
• Frontenac – Tug, built 1901, lost 1929. – Main Duck
• Burma – Schooner, built 1901, foundered 1929
• Simla – Steamer, built 1903, scuttled 1926, raised, rescuttled 1936 Wolfe Island Graveyard
• Chieftain III – Tug, built 1906, sank in collision 1911. – St. Lawrence River

References and Links

• Great Lakes Ships
• Wikipedia contributors. (2023, December 4). Garden Island (Ontario). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:36, January 24, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Garden_Island_(Ontario)&oldid=1188324974
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Bowling Green Historic Vessels