E.K. ROBERTS, CITY OF WINDSOR
- n
- 25ffw 8m
- 117ft Length
- North Channel, Lake Huron
- Cooks, Dock ON
The E.K. Roberts, also known as the City of Windsor and later as the Michipicoten, was a propeller ship built in 1883 in Detroit, Michigan. It was primarily used for passenger and freight transportation, specifically in the fish trade.
Constructed by the Detroit Dry Dock Co., the E.K. Roberts had a wooden hull with two decks. It was initially owned by the Detroit & Duck Island Transportation Co. in Detroit, with ownership later transferred to C.W. Gauthier, Butler & Co.
The ship was equipped with a For-and-Aft Compound engine, which had two cylinders. It also had two boilers, measuring 5′ x 10′, and the engine and boilers were built by H.G. Trout of Buffalo, New York and Fitzgibbon, respectively.
The E.K. Roberts had a length of 117 feet, a beam of 24.8 feet, and a depth of 10.7 feet. Its gross tonnage was 264.90, and its net tonnage was 189.75.
On October 10, 1927, the E.K. Roberts met its final fate at Cook’s Dock on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. The ship was carrying flour and building material when it caught fire. It was pushed away from the dock but ultimately sank near the opposite shore in a final depth of 25 inches. The ship remained listed in records in 1928 and 1930.
Throughout its history, the ship underwent several ownership changes and name changes. It was owned by various individuals and companies, including T.M. Kirkwood & D.L. McKinnon, Stephen Reeves, Joseph Ganley, and the North American Bent Chair Co.
Despite its eventual demise, the E.K. Roberts had a long history of service, transporting passengers and freight along the waters of Lake Huron.
