W. A. Jones – Shipbuilder, Black River, Ohio

W. A. Jones was a shipbuilder based in Black River, Ohio, during the mid-19th century, a period marked by the rapid growth of Great Lakes commerce and transportation. Jones specialized in constructing wooden schooners, a vital vessel type for the transportation of bulk goods like limestone, lumber, and agricultural products across the Great Lakes. His craftsmanship reflected the durability and functional design required for these commercial workhorses. Ships built by Jones, like the H.G. Cleveland, were integral to the economic infrastructure of the region, supporting the booming industrial and construction sectors in ports like Cleveland, Detroit, and Buffalo.

• W.F. Allen, Jr. was a three-masted wooden schooner built in 1853 by William Jones in Black River, Ohio (modern-day Lorain, Ohio). Measuring 138 feet in length, with a beam of 26 feet and a depth of 12 feet, the vessel had a gross tonnage of 245 tons. She was typical of the schooners that dominated Great Lakes shipping in the mid-19th century, designed for hauling bulk cargoes like lumber, grain, and coal.
• H.G. Cleveland launched in 1867, exemplified Jones’s skill and dedication to building reliable vessels for demanding lake routes. These vessels endured challenging conditions on the Great Lakes, where weather is volatile, and navigation often risky. The H.G. Cleveland,, with its solid construction and sizable cargo capacity, became a workhorse for transporting materials, enabling the flow of goods that was essential to the growth of Midwestern cities.
• The T.P. Handy was constructed in 1849 at Black River, Ohio, by shipbuilder William Jones. Like many schooners of its time, it was a general cargo carrier, frequently hauling goods, materials, and manufactured items across the Great Lakes trade routes.
• Wings of the Morning was a sturdy wooden schooner designed to navigate the often treacherous waters of the Great Lakes. With a length of 132 feet and a tonnage of 340, she was moderately sized, capable of handling significant cargo loads. The schooner underwent major repairs in 1860, suggesting that she had seen considerable use in her first few years of service and remained a valuable asset in the shipping industry.