Steamer Picton (1870)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: Picton
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: None recorded
• Vessel Type at Loss: Sidewheel Steamer (Passenger & Freight)
• Builder: Rathbun & Co., Mill Point (Deseronto), Hastings County, Ontario
• • Master Carpenter: William Yeoman
• • Year Built & Launched: 1870 (Launched September 9, 1870)
• • Specifications:
• • Length: 158 ft (48.2 m)
• • Beam: 26 ft (7.9 m) (44 ft including paddle boxes)
• • Depth: 8 ft (2.4 m)
• • Gross Tonnage: 248 GT (pre-1877) / 801 GT (post-1877 Rebuild)
• • Net Tonnage: 78 NT (pre-Rebuild)
• • Propulsion: Sidewheel, steam-powered
• • Original Owner: James S. McQuaig & Bay of Quinte and St. Lawrence Navigation Co., Picton, Ontario

Service History & Modifications

• August 3, 1870: Picton registered in Picton, Ontario at a cost of $45,000.
• Operated on routes between:
• Trenton, Belleville, and Montreal (1870-1872)
• Toronto and Port Dalhousie (Post-1877 Rebuild)
• Montreal and Lake Ontario ports
• 1872: Purchased by Bay of Quinte and St. Lawrence Navigation Co.
• 877: Re-measured to 490.53 net tons, Rebuilt with upper Deck cabins for passenger service.
• 1880: False sides added to improve stability.
• 1882: Underwent major repairs, including:
• Reframing, new planking, and keelsons in Portsmouth, Ontario
• Planned for new service on Georgian Bay

Final Voyage & Loss

• Date of Loss: September 22, 1882 (some sources state September 20)
• Location: 3-4 miles east of Rondeau, Ontario, Lake Erie
• Cause of Loss: Ran aground in storm, total wreck
• Cargo at Time of Loss: General freight (contents largely recovered)
• Passengers & Crew: 18 survivors reported
• Captain at Time of Loss: Captain Dunn

The Picton was en route to Owen Sound, slated to begin a new route in Georgian Bay, when she ran aground near Rondeau Point’s lighthouse during a storm. Captain Dunn blamed the wreck on the ship’s compass being “astray by two points,” which led to navigation errors in the darkness.

Eyewitness & Newspaper Reports

• September 21, 1882 – Morpeth, Ontario:
  “The Picton came ashore on Rondeau Point last night. It was so dark they could not see the shore.”
• •September 21, 1882 – Rondeau, Ontario:
  A side-wheel Steamer ran ashore last night about four miles east of the lighthouse. Her paddle box was smashed, and her Hull appeared cracked in two. She is likely to become a total wreck.”
• Cleveland Herald Report:
  “The owners of the propeller Asia, recently lost, seem to be particularly unfortunate. The Picton was to take her place, and while on her way there, she went ashore.”
• October 6, 1882 – Meaford Monitor:
  “Now that she is gone, it is reported that she was starting to run without a proper certificate—Inspector Risley refused to commission her for Georgian Bay without another examination, but she left without it.”

Final Disposition & Salvage Efforts

The wreck was declared a Total Loss after being broken apart by waves and storms.With some of her cargo was salvaged. On October 5, 1882 – Kingston, Ontario: Captain Donnelly of the Dominion Wrecking Company received a request to salvage the engine, boiler, shafts, anchors, cables, and other materials to transport to St. Catharines. Donnelly declined the contract due to high cost and dangerous conditions.No known modern salvage or rediscovery of the wreck has been documented.

Located By & Date Found

No known discovery or formal wreck site documentation. Washed up on shore Jan 2024 Given the shallow waters and shifting sands near Rondeau, any remaining wreckage is likely scattered or buried.

NOTMARs & Advisories

Rondeau Point remains a hazardous navigation zone, with shoals and shifting sandbars historically causing multiple shipwrecks.

Resources & Links

• Naval Marine Archive (Picton, Ontario): https://navalmarinearchive.com
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes: http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca
• Great Lakes Maritime Database (GLMD): https://greatlakeships.org
• David Swayze Shipwreck File: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org
• Picton Gazette – What Lies Beneath
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels
• Wikipedia – Picton

Conclusion

The Picton was a classic Great Lakes Sidewheel Steamer, serving passenger and cargo routes between Montreal, Toronto, and ports on the Bay of Quinte. Though Rebuilt multiple times, her final attempt at service in Georgian Bay ended in disaster when she wrecked near Rondeau, Ontario, in 1882. Despite salvage attempts, her remains were left to decay.

The wreck of the Picton is a largely forgotten piece of Canadian maritime history, but her loss was widely reported at the time, especially given the controversy surrounding her lack of certification for Georgian Bay service.