Steambarge R.A. Seymour, Jr. (1882)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: R.A. Seymour, Jr.
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: 110672
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden Steambarge
• Builder: Rand & Burger, Manitowoc, Wisconsin
• Year Built & Launched: 1882
• Built on the Bottom of: Lewis Gilbert (1876) (suggesting she was Rebuilt from or incorporated parts of an earlier vessel)
• Specifications: Length: 110.1 ft (33.5 m) Beam: 22.75 ft (6.9 m) Depth: 7.7 ft (2.3 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 131.46 GT
• Net Tonnage: 103.8 NT
• Cargo Capacity: 250,000 board feet of lumber
• Power & Propulsion Propulsion Type: Screw (propeller-driven steambarge)
• Engine Type: High-pressure, single-cylinder Cylinder Size: 14.5” x 18”
• Engine Manufacturer: Sherriff’s Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, WI
• Boiler: 6.5’ x 13’ Firebox Boiler

Ownership & Service History

The R.A. Seymour, Jr. was a Great Lakes lumber Steamer, operating primarily in the Lake Michigan lumber trade. Her ownership changed several times throughout her career:

• 1883, April 10: Enrolled at Grand Haven, Michigan.
• 1885, May 26: Owned by Frederick, Elwin & R.A. Seymour, based in Chicago, IL & Manistee, MI.
• 1887, September 5: Sold to Charles T. Wright, Racine, WI.
• 1888, September 5: Purchased by Otter Creek Lumber Co., Racine (Charles Wright, president).
• 1889, December 21: Acquired by George C. Conroe, Racine, WI.
• 1892, April 23: Sold to Fowler J. Preston, St. Joseph, MI.
• 1893, May 16: Owned by Wisconsin Chair Co., Port Washington, WI.
• 1907, February 13: Purchased by E.E. Dove & William J. Gorman, Chicago, IL.
• 1907, November 6: Owned by Chicago Lighterage Co. (William Gorman, president).
• 1912, December 9: Sold and laid up, marking the end of her active service.

Notable Incidents & Repairs

• 1890, May 17: Ashore near Frankfort, MI (refloated and repaired).
• 1894, October: Severely damaged in a collision with steambarge Mary Mills off Port Washington in fog. Repaired in Sheboygan, WI.
• 1895, June: Received a second-hand engine & boiler; Rebuilt at Philbrook’s Yard.

Final Disposition

1912: Sold and laid up, ending her commercial service. May 6, 1924: Abandoned and sunk (exact location unknown).

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed modern discovery of wreckage.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No known modern navigational hazards related to this vessel.

Resources & Links

• 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
• Great Lakes Vessel Database (BGSU): https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/vessels

Conclusion

The R.A. Seymour, Jr. was a hardworking Great Lakes steambarge, playing a key role in the lumber trade for over 30 years. Despite multiple owners, groundings, and collisions, she remained in service until 1912, when she was laid up. Her final fate was abandonment and sinking in 1924, making her one of the many lost wooden steamers of the Great Lakes.