Identification & Site Information

• Name: Union (formerly Watertown)
• Former Names: Built as Watertown, renamed Union in 1888
• Official Number: C92654 (Canadian registry)
• Date Built & Launched: 1866 (possibly Rebuilt from an earlier vessel built in 1864)
• Builder: F. Jenkins, Kingston, Ontario
• Specifications: 132 ft x 24 ft x 7 ft (40.2 m x 7.3 m x 2.1 m), 267 gross tons, 163 net tons
• Vessel Type: Wooden propeller-driven Ferry
• Date Lost: 1902
• Place of Loss: Niagara River at Fort Erie, Ontario
• Cause of Loss: Hull failure (possibly scuttled)
• Loss of Life: Unknown
• Cargo: Unknown
• Owner: Fort Erie Ferry and Railway Co.
• Port of Registry: St. Catharines, Ontario

Vessel Type

The Union was a wooden propeller-driven Ferry, designed to carry passengers and possibly light freight across the Niagara River. By the late 19th century, ferries were essential for transporting people and goods between Fort Erie, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York, before the construction of modern bridges.

Description & History

The vessel was originally built as Watertown in 1866 by F. Jenkins of Kingston, Ontario. Some records suggest it may have been a Rebuilt version of an earlier ship of the same name, dating back to 1864.

In 1888, the ship was renamed Union and was operated by the Fort Erie Ferry and Railway Co., a company providing Ferry services across the Niagara River. By this time, wooden ferries like the Union were being phased out in favor of steel-hulled vessels, which were more durable and less prone to structural failures.

By 1902, the ship was no longer viable due to Hull failure, a common issue with aging wooden vessels exposed to constant stress from river currents and ice. Some reports suggest it may have been deliberately scuttled, which was a common practice for decommissioned ships at the time.

Final Disposition

The Union sank in the Niagara River near Fort Erie. If deliberately scuttled, its remains may have been removed or buried under silt.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed discovery of the wreck has been documented.

NOTMARs & Advisories

The Niagara River is a high-flow waterway, making it unlikely that substantial wreckage remains. Changes in water levels and riverbed sediment over the past century may have covered or dispersed any remnants of the vessel.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Great Lakes Ships Database
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• NOAA Great Lakes Shipwrecks

Conclusion

The Union represents the end of an era for wooden ferryboats on the Niagara River. Originally built as Watertown, it served for nearly four decades before being retired and lost in 1902, possibly scuttled. Its sinking highlights the transition from wooden ferries to more modern steel-hulled vessels, which dominated Ferry transport in the 20th century.

Keywords & Categories

Keywords: Niagara River ferries, wooden ferries, Fort Erie maritime history, St. Catharines shipwrecks, Ferry scuttling

Categories: Shipwrecks of Lake Ontario, 19th-century ferries, wooden propeller vessels, Hull failure losses

Glossary Terms: Ferry, Propeller-driven vessel, Hull Failure, Scuttling