Site Description
- Schooner
- 90ffw 30m
- 140ft Length
- Russel Island, Tobermory
- N 45 16.134 W 081 41.832
The schooner known as Scoville, Philo was originally built in 1863 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Quayle & Martin. It was constructed using wood and had a single deck. The vessel had three masts and measured 139.6 feet in length, 30.4 feet in beam, and 11.3 feet in depth. Its gross tonnage was recorded as 471 in the old measurement system.
The Scoville, Philo was initially owned by Bemis & Son, based in Buffalo, New York. Over the years, it underwent various changes, including a change in name to Midland Rover and then Philo Scoville. The master carpenter responsible for its construction was George Notter.
Throughout its history, the schooner encountered several notable incidents. In 1872, it sank with a load of coal on Rose’s Reef in Lake Erie but was later raised and repaired. In December 1875, it broke loose from its moorings in Meaford, Ontario, resulting in damage to both the vessel and the dock, which were subsequently repaired.
In 1879, the ownership of the Scoville, Philo transferred to Simon S. Cook of Morrisburg, Ontario. It was then renamed Midland Rover. The vessel underwent significant repairs in 1880 and was involved in a wreck in Toronto in 1882, resulting in the loss of two lives.
By 1885, the Scoville, Philo was engaged in the grain trade between Lake Superior and Montreal and was towed by the propeller City of Montreal. In August 1887, it collided with the schooner Monterey in Lake Huron, leading to damages for both vessels, which were repaired in Port Huron, Michigan.
On September 10, 1887, the ownership of the schooner transferred to Kate S. Barnes of Port Huron, and it was reenrolled in the United States under the same official number, US19620, with the name Philo Scoville.
Unfortunately, on October 6, 1889, the Philo Scoville met its final fate. It was driven into the shallows by a storm near Russel Island in Tobermory, Ontario, on Lake Huron. The vessel went to pieces on the rocks, resulting in the loss of one life. This marked the end of the Philo Scoville’s maritime journey, leaving behind a history filled with voyages, incidents, and changes in ownership.
