F. Harris – Shipbuilder, Wallaceburg, Ontario

F. Harris was a shipbuilder based in Wallaceburg, Ontario, a town strategically located along the Sydenham River near Lake St. Clair. The region around Wallaceburg was well-known in the late 19th century for its thriving lumber and shipbuilding industries. Wallaceburg’s proximity to extensive forest resources and waterways provided an ideal setting for shipbuilders like Harris, who specialized in constructing wooden barges, tugs, and other vessels that served the needs of the Great Lakes timber trade.

F. Harris’s shipyard in Wallaceburg would have catered to regional demand for cargo vessels capable of transporting timber, lumber, and other materials. The barge COLLINA, built by Harris in 1883, was designed specifically for carrying timber products like wooden bolts, reflecting the essential role these barges played in transporting raw materials to markets and ports. Shipbuilders in Wallaceburg typically focused on wooden-hulled vessels, which were cost-effective and utilized local resources.

Although specific records of F. Harris’s broader portfolio are limited, his work represents the efforts of smaller, regional shipbuilders who contributed to the industrialization and economic growth of Southwestern Ontario during this period. The presence of shipyards like Harris’s in Wallaceburg exemplifies the importance of the local timber trade, where barges and small vessels were integral to moving goods to nearby ports for processing or export.