History #
The Buckeye was a wooden propeller (steambarge) built in 1856 by Quayle & Martin in Cleveland, Ohio. It measured 136.2 feet in length, 26 feet in beam, and 11.2 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 378 tons and a net tonnage of 352 tons. The vessel was initially owned by the Northern Transit Co. of Ogdensburg, New York.
On June 13, 1885, the Buckeye met with a series of unfortunate events in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. First, it became stranded on a large boulder due to foggy conditions. Later, it caught fire from unknown causes and subsequently sank. The crew was rescued by the steambarge Sir S. L. Tilley. The Buckeye was carrying cedar railroad ties and was en route from Manitoulin Island to Chicago at the time of the incident. Thankfully, there were no reported casualties.
The Buckeye had a history of incidents and repairs. In 1865, it struck a rock in the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River, resulting in the vessel sinking and requiring significant repairs. It was rebuilt in 1866. Additionally, in 1882, after extensive repairs in Manitowoc, the Buckeye fell from the block during relaunch and broke in two, leading to further repairs and delays before returning to service.
The vessel underwent ownership changes throughout its lifetime. It was initially owned by the Northern Transit Co., then by Philo Chamberlain of Cleveland, followed by the Northern Transit Company of Rockport, Ohio. In 1879, ownership transferred to the Northern Transit Company of Glen Haven, Michigan. Later, in 1880, the Buckeye was owned by Elisha Eldred & Co. of Chicago, and in 1884, it was owned by Charles Eldred. Finally, William A. Fuller of Chicago and others owned the vessel at the time of its loss.
A court battle ensued regarding the responsibility for covering the loss between the casualty and fire insurance carriers. The Buckeye was ultimately deemed a total loss. It was insured for $15,000 across three insurance companies.
Here are some sources that mention the loss of the Buckeye:
- Marine Record, June 18, 1885
- Marine Record, July 2, 1885
- Cleveland Leader, December 7, 1885
- Merchant Vessel List, U.S., 1885
- Merchant Steam Vessels of the U.S.A., The Lytle-Holdcamper List, 1790 to 1868
