Identification & Site Information

• • Vessel Name: James Fisk Jr.
• • Vessel Type: Bulk Freighter (later converted to a lumber hooker)
• • Built By: Bidwell & Banta
• • Place of Construction: Buffalo, New York, USA
• • Year Built: 1870
• • Dimensions:
• • Length: 216.3 feet (65.9 meters)
• • Beam: 32 feet (9.8 meters)
• • Depth: 12.4 feet (3.8 meters)
• • Gross Tonnage: 1,095.95 tons
• • Net Tonnage: 946.23 tons
• • Capacity: 1,200 tons
• • Final Resting Place: St. Clair Flats, St. Clair River, Michigan
• • Final Disposition: Burned and sank on November 14, 1906.

Vessel Type Description

The James Fisk Jr. was a wooden-hulled bulk freighter built for the Union Steamboat Line. Equipped with advanced propulsion for its time, the vessel had a steeple compound engine and was powered by a tubular boiler. Its design featured two decks and a single mast, making it suitable for the transport of both passengers and freight across the Great Lakes.

History

Construction and Early Career (1870):

• Built in Buffalo, New York, by Bidwell & Banta, the James Fisk Jr. began its career as a versatile freighter, moving goods and passengers for the Union Steamboat Line.

• It was equipped with a 400-horsepower steeple compound engine and could reach 74 revolutions per minute.

Corporate Connections:

• The vessel was commissioned during the time Fisk and Gould controlled the Erie Railroad, reflecting their financial influence and controversial legacy in 19th-century American industry.

1901 Incident:

• In 1901, the James Fisk Jr. collided while towing the Barge H.C. Sprague in Lake St. Clair, resulting in the sinking of both vessels. Both were later salvaged, and the Barge was renamed Nellie Lyon.

Conversion and Final Years (1901-1906):

• The freighter was converted into a lumber hooker in 1901, specializing in the transportation of timber, a key industry of the era.

• Ownership and operations adapted to the demands of Great Lakes commerce, though the vessel’s age and wooden construction posed challenges.

Final Voyage and Fire (1906):

• On November 14, 1906, while at Muir’s Landing on the St. Clair River, the James Fisk Jr. caught fire.

• Witnesses on Harsens Island described the ship as a spectacular sight, engulfed in flames as it steamed downriver.

• The crew escaped in small boats, but the ship was ultimately beached and burned to the waterline.

Legacy and Final Resting Place

The James Fisk Jr. lies in the St. Clair Flats, a shallow area of the St. Clair River. The wreck, alongside its towbarge Nellie Lyon, represents the end of an era for wooden Great Lakes freighters, which were steadily replaced by steel-hulled vessels in the early 20th century.

Historical Significance

The James Fisk Jr. serves as a reminder of the ingenuity and challenges faced by 19th-century maritime commerce. Its association with infamous financiers James Fisk and Jay Gould ties it to a fascinating chapter in American history, where industrial expansion often intersected with corruption and ambition.

Resources & Links

• Maritime History of the Great Lakes Website: Detailed documentation on the vessel’s history.

• Shipwrecks of the St. Clair River: Local dive groups and archives detailing wreck locations and significance.

• David Swayze Shipwreck File: Historical records of shipwrecks across the Great Lakes.

Conclusion

The James Fisk Jr. lived a dynamic life as a freighter and lumber hooker, surviving collisions, conversions, and the evolving demands of maritime trade. Its fiery end in 1906 and subsequent resting place in the St. Clair Flats solidify its place in the rich tapestry of Great Lakes maritime history. Its story reflects both the promise and peril of an era defined by industrial ambition and the risks of navigating the vast inland seas.