HOWARD U980

The tug (towboat) named Porter, also known as Howard, was built in 1864 in Wilmington, Delaware. It had a wooden hull, a square stern, and measured 118 feet in length, 21 feet 5 inches in beam, and 8 feet 1 inch in depth. The tug had a gross tonnage of 192 63/95.

The propulsion system of the Porter consisted of a single high-pressure steam engine with one cylinder and one propeller. The engine, producing 250 horsepower, was built by Reany, Son & Archibald in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1864.

During the American Civil War, the Porter served as a Union gunboat. Over the years, it changed ownership several times. In 1866, it was owned by the Delaware & Chesapeake Tow Boat Co. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1867, ownership transferred to the Peshtigo Company of Wisconsin, with its homeport in Chicago, Illinois. The tug was registered as US980 on July 9, 1867.

Subsequent owners of the Porter included H.J. & H.C. Winslow, S.S. Rumage, W.H. Crowl, J. & Henry Sanders, D.D. Harnett, Joseph Waltman, Joseph Kimball, Henry Jewell, Thomas Morrell, Richard A. Booth (Atkinson), William Tait, McArthur Brothers, Northern Transportation Co., Charles McGarvey, and Howard Towing Association.

In 1889, the Porter was rebuilt and renamed Howard. The ownership transferred to Henry Howard, Port Huron, and later to the Howard Towing Association. The tug underwent further modifications, including the installation of a steeple compound steam engine producing 300 horsepower. A scotch boiler was also added in 1892.

Over the years, the Howard towed log rafts and changed hands multiple times, being owned by W.H. Singer, James Davidson, Michigan Log Towing Co., and Davidson Steamship Co.

In 1904, the Howard was involved in an accident when it crashed into the Third Street Bridge in Bay City, Michigan. The vessel was eventually wrecked on June 13, 1921, near Fort William on the southwest tip of Victoria Island in Lake Superior. It ran aground and was stranded in foggy conditions, leading to its final demise. The crew managed to escape, and the documents for the vessel were surrendered on September 14, 1921.

This information about the tug Porter/Howard is based on available records and historical sources.