History #
The AJAX was a sidewheel tug built in 1865 in Florence (Bay City), Michigan. It had a length of 107 feet, beam of 28.6 feet, depth of 4.7 feet, and a gross tonnage of 95.9 tons. The vessel was constructed using wood and had one deck.
However, there is some confusion regarding the construction history of the AJAX. It is mentioned that it was built on the bottom of another vessel, also named AJAX, which was a tug built in 1855 in Tanktown (Ft. Howard), Wisconsin. The original AJAX was constructed by Morgan L. Martin et al in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The AJAX had a sidewheel propulsion system, driven by one boiler and no propellers.
In its early years, the AJAX was owned by the Fox-Wisconsin Transportation Company and operated on the route between Green Bay and Fond du Lac/Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 1859, ownership transferred to Thomas Hubbell and Charles Harvey of Houghton, Michigan, where the AJAX worked on the Portage Canal.
The vessel was reported as abandoned in 1860.
However, in 1865, the AJAX was rebuilt or re-registered in Detroit, Michigan, and came under the ownership of the Chicago Salt & Lumber Company based in Saginaw, Michigan. It was described as a “riverboat” at this time.
Throughout its ownership history, the AJAX changed hands several times. It was owned by C.W. Gibson of Bay City, Michigan in 1867 and then Elias Denison and others, also from Bay City, in August 1867. In May 1868, the vessel was owned by Amos Easton, also from Bay City.
On August 9, 1872, the AJAX met its unfortunate end. It burned near Bay City on Saginaw Bay, resulting in significant damage estimated at $3,500. The fire occurred while the vessel was on Lake Huron. Fortunately, there were no reported casualties, and the AJAX was not carrying any cargo at the time of the incident.
The AJAX was registered out of Bay City, Michigan, and its final location prior to the fire was Stone Island Dock in Saginaw Bay.
