Steambarge Lewis Gilbert (1876)

Identification & Site Information

• Name: Lewis Gilbert
• Other Names: None
• Official Number: 140181
• Vessel Type at Loss: Wooden Steambarge
• Builder: Lewis Sharbineau, Mount Clemens, Michigan
• Year Built & Launched: 1876
• Specifications: Length: 92 ft (28 m) Beam: 22 ft (6.7 m) Depth: 6.2 ft (1.9 m)
  • Gross Tonnage: 92.8 GT
• Decks: 1
• Number of Masts: 1
• Power & Propulsion
  • Propulsion Type: Screw (propeller-driven steambarge)
  • Engine Type: High-pressure single-cylinder engine
  • Cylinder Size: 14.5” x 18”
• Engine Manufacturer: Sheriff’s Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee, WI
• Boiler: 6.5’ x 13’ Firebox Boiler

Ownership & Service History

• 1876, May 19: Enrolled at Detroit, Michigan.
• 1878: Extensively overhauled in Detroit.
• 1878, April 5: Sold to Lonsby Brothers, Mount Clemens, Michigan.
• 1879, September 17: Owned by Fred, John & Richard Seymour, Manistee, Michigan.
• 1879, October 11: Ownership transferred to Grand Haven, Michigan under the same owners.
• 1881: Operated in the Montague-Chicago lumber trade, carrying lumber across Lake Michigan.

Final Disposition & Rebuild

April 1882: Lewis Gilbert was Rebuilt from the Keel up as the steambarge R.A. Seymour, Jr. (US #110672). April 10, 1882: Officially Abandoned in name, as her structure was repurposed into the R.A. Seymour, Jr..

Legacy & Connection to R.A. Seymour, Jr. (1882)

Rather than being scrapped, the Lewis Gilbert was fully Rebuilt and renamed, extending her operational life under new ownership. As R.A. Seymour, Jr., the vessel continued to operate in Great Lakes lumber trade until her abandonment and sinking in 1924.

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 Lewis Gilbert was a small but active steambarge, serving in the lumber trade on Lake Michigan from 1876 to 1882. Instead of meeting a typical shipwreck fate, she was completely Rebuilt as the R.A. Seymour, Jr. in 1882, continuing her service until 1924, when she was finally Abandoned and sunk.