Lake & River Steam Ship Co. of Hamilton, Ontario

Overview

The Lake & River Steam Ship Co. was a Canadian shipping company based in Hamilton, Ontario, operating during the late 19th century. The company focused on Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River trade, primarily transporting freight and passengers between key ports in Canada and the United States.

The company was known for operating a fleet of wooden package freighters, which were designed to carry general cargo, grain, and passengers across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Fleet & Operations

The Lake & River Steam Ship Co. owned and operated a series of near-identical wooden package freighters, including:

• LAKE ONTARIO (Built 1873, lost 1890)
• LAKE ERIE (Built 1873, lost 1881)
• LAKE MICHIGAN (Built 1872, scuttled 1925)

These vessels ran routes between Montreal, Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catharines, Detroit, Chicago, Buffalo, and other key ports.

During its peak, the company played a major role in Canadian-American trade, shipping grain, manufactured goods, and general cargo across the Great Lakes system.

Decline & Dissolution

By the late 19th century, wooden freighters were increasingly outclassed by larger, more durable steel-hulled vessels. The company’s fleet suffered multiple losses, including:

• LAKE ERIE sinking after a collision in 1881
• LAKE ONTARIO sinking in a storm in 1890
• LAKE MICHIGAN being dismantled and scuttled in 1925

Records suggest that the Lake & River Steam Ship Co. ceased operations by the early 20th century, likely due to financial losses, aging vessels, and competition from newer steamship companies.

Legacy

While the company itself faded, its fleet contributed to the development of Canadian shipping, and its vessels helped shape early commercial trade on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Today, the wrecks of the company’s ships remain a part of Great Lakes maritime history, with LAKE MICHIGAN, LAKE ERIE, and LAKE ONTARIO among the notable losses in Canadian and American waters.