The history of the schooner-barge BOSCOBEL is as follows: #
The BOSCOBEL was built in 1866 in Pestigo, Wisconsin, as a propeller. It had a round stern and upper works built by Edward McGraw in Chicago, Illinois. The vessel was constructed by S.V.D. Philbrook and owned by the Pestigo Company, with Thomas H. Beebe as the president, located in Chicago. The BOSCOBEL was primarily used for carrying lumber between Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois, at a speed of 8-11 miles per hour.
In December 1866, the BOSCOBEL was launched in Pestigo, Wisconsin. In April 1869, it was chartered by the New York Central Line for passenger and package freight services. In May 1869, it was owned by the Pestigo Lumbering Company, which operated under the Union Steamboat Company Line. Tragically, on September 3, 1869, the BOSCOBEL burned in the St. Clair River, three miles below St. Clair. The cargo included railroad and pig iron, as well as 150 tons of general merchandise, and three lives were lost in the incident.
The vessel was later raised and dismantled and came under the ownership of Thomas Craig in 1873. In 1876, the BOSCOBEL was rebuilt in Algonac, Michigan, by Abram Smith. It was reconstructed as a barge, featuring one deck and one mast. The new configuration had a gross tonnage of 503.89 and was enrolled under the official number 31430. Its capacity was 65,000 feet of lumber.
In 1883, the BOSCOBEL underwent another rebuild and was now owned by L.B. Parker of Marine City, Michigan. The vessel was re-rigged as a three-mast schooner, with dimensions of 168.5 feet in length, 30.6 feet in beam, and 17.3 feet in depth. It had a gross tonnage of 570.
Throughout its history, the BOSCOBEL encountered various incidents. In December 1895, the vessel sank near Turtle Light in Lake Erie after grounding on a bar. However, it was later recovered. In September 1900, while carrying a load of coal, the BOSCOBEL sprang a leak during a storm on Lake Huron and sank at Alpena, Michigan.
The final enrollment of the BOSCOBEL was surrendered on May 7, 1903, in Port Huron, Michigan, and it was endorsed as “sold foreign.” The vessel was reported to have sunk in 1904.
The history of the BOSCOBEL showcases its role in the transportation of lumber and other goods in the Great Lakes region during the 19th and early 20th centuries. It experienced several transformations, rebuilds, and unfortunate incidents throughout its existence, contributing to the rich maritime heritage of the area.
