The wooden propeller steamer, originally known as SIMCOE and later renamed NORTH, had a history spanning from 1864 to 1878. It had an original tonnage of 335.38 tons register and measured 137.08 feet in length. After 1870, its measurements changed to 345 tons gross, 236 tons net, and 138.8 feet in length. The steamer had a capacity of 15,000 bushels initially, which was later increased to 25,000 bushels. It was built in Montreal in 1864, either by A. Cantin or Charles Tate. The vessel had one mast and a round stern, and its engine developed 45 indicated horsepower. It was constructed at a cost of $28,000 and was rated A in 1864, with a value of $24,000. By 1866, it received an A1 rating and was valued at $18,000.
According to the Canadian Railway & Marine World, the steamer NORTH was one of four vessels, including EAST, SOUTH, and WEST, that were built as British-registered blockade runners for the Confederate States. There are reports dating back to April 1864 mentioning the purchase of the ship by the McLennans. It operated on the Montreal-Chicago route. From 1865 to 1866, it appears that the vessel was chartered to Glassford & Jones, forwarders based in Kingston, Ontario.
The steamer encountered several mishaps during its operational years. On May 22, 1865, it ran aground on Mohawk Reef near Racine, Wisconsin, while carrying a cargo of bagged flour. It sustained damage to its rudder and later went aground at Racine again in May 1866, resulting in $2,000 worth of damage. On November 8, 1868, the ship burned and sank in 20 feet of water at Baby Point in the St. Clair River, near Sarnia, Ontario.
Following the incident, the McLennan brothers sold the vessel, which was subsequently raised and rebuilt by J.E. Wood in Wallaceburg, Ontario, between 1869 and 1870. It was owned by Mackenzie of Sarnia at the time and was renamed MARY WARD. In July 1870, the steamer suffered another setback when it was holed and stranded in the Lachine Canal for ten days. By 1872, the ship was under the ownership of Forhan et al. of Owen Sound, Ontario. On June 14, 1872, it went aground at the mouth of the Thames River. The final incident occurred on November 24, 1872, when the vessel was wrecked on Nottawasaga Island Reef in Georgian Bay, near Collingwood, Ontario, while en route from Owen Sound to Collingwood. Tragically, eight people lost their lives in the incident. The registry of the steamer was closed on January 3, 1878, and it appears that ownership was never transferred from the McLennan brothers to the Montreal Transportation Co.
