The CITY OF BUFFALO, built in 1857 in Buffalo, New York, was a sidewheel steamer initially used for passenger and freight transportation on Lake Erie. It was constructed by Bidwell & Banta and owned by the Michigan Southern Railway Company based in Detroit. The vessel measured 331 feet in length, 40 feet in beam, and had a depth of 15.6 feet. With a tonnage of 2,026, it was a substantial ship for its time.
In 1863-1864, the CITY OF BUFFALO was converted from a sidewheel steamer to a propeller freighter. The conversion was undertaken by E.S. Prosser & Co., a company based in Buffalo. After the conversion, the ship became known as “the slowest steam-craft on the lakes.”
However, tragedy struck the CITY OF BUFFALO on July 30, 1866, when it was engulfed in flames at Sturgis Elevator in Buffalo Harbor. The fire destroyed the ship, the elevator, and several adjacent businesses. The vessel was carrying a cargo of 72,000 bushels of oats, which were being unloaded at the time. The fire was later determined to be an act of arson, and the perpetrators were apprehended. The CITY OF BUFFALO was a total loss, valued at $80,000, and an additional $240,000 in damage was incurred.
The ship’s owner, E.S. Prosser, filed insurance claims for the loss. Despite the devastating fire, the CITY OF BUFFALO’s place in maritime history is remembered, both for its service as a sidewheel steamer and its unfortunate fate as a victim of arson.
