History
The MARY N. BOURKE was built in 1889 in Baraga, Michigan, by Thomas Nester. The vessel was similar to the Schooner Barge THOMAS NESTER, which was built in 1888. The master carpenter for the construction of the MARY N. BOURKE was H.L. Maynard from Milwaukee. The original owner of the vessel was W.A. Bourke & Co.
The MARY N. BOURKE had a length of 219 feet, a beam of 35 feet, and a depth of 15.9 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 920 and a net tonnage of 874. The vessel had a capacity of carrying 1,250,000 feet of lumber or 2600 tons of cargo.
The MARY N. BOURKE regularly operated as a schooner-barge, towed by Bourke’s steambarge named SCHOOLCRAFT, along with the barge THOMAS NESTER until after 1910. It was primarily involved in the transportation of lumber and other bulk freight in the Great Lakes region.
On September 26, 1914, tragedy struck the MARY N. BOURKE when it was destroyed by fire at Pine River in St. Ignace, Michigan. The vessel was docked at Peter’s Lumber dock in St. Martin’s Bay at the time of the incident. The crew, consisting of six individuals, was awakened by smoke coming from the hold and managed to escape. Fortunately, no lives were lost in the fire. The vessel burned down to the waterline, and the dock and a pile of lumber were also destroyed.
At the time of the loss, the MARY N. BOURKE was owned by D.C. Parson of Detroit, who was the son of the vessel’s skipper, Captain Joseph Parsons. The MARY N. BOURKE had undergone some modifications over the years, including a reduction in the number of masts from four to two around 1909.
The loss of the MARY N. BOURKE due to fire marked the end of its career as a working vessel. The incident represents a significant event in the maritime history of Lake Superior, highlighting the risks and challenges faced by vessels engaged in the transportation of lumber during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
