Other Names #
- C. G. Alvoord
- Charles G. Alvord
- California 1849
History #
The C.G. Alvord, also known as C. G. Alvoord or Charles G. Alvord, was originally built as the Canadian schooner California in 1849. It was renamed the C.G. Alvord in 1863. The vessel had an official number of 4389 and was a three-masted wooden schooner.
Built by L. Shickluna in St. Catharines, Ontario, the C.G. Alvord had a tonnage of 264. It experienced a significant incident in the winter of 1864-1865 when it ran ashore on Mission Island in Lake Huron during a powerful fall gale. The vessel sustained heavy damage and required extensive repairs.
In December 1867, the C.G. Alvord encountered another unfortunate event. While bound from Detroit to Toronto carrying 150,000 bushels of wheat, it was caught in a blizzard on Lake Ontario. The vessel became unmanageable and drifted the entire length of the lake before beaching near Stoney Creek, New York, close to Burlington Beach. Although the crew survived, they were in frozen and exhausted conditions. The C.G. Alvord was reported as a total loss, with the ship valued at $12,000 and the cargo at $18,500.
The wreck of the C.G. Alvord, located just east of Burlington Beach, was stripped, and the grain cargo was salvaged. The vessel had been owned by Stupinsky & Co. of Detroit at the time of the loss.
This information is based on various historical sources, including reports from the Marine Casualties of the Great Lakes and contemporary newspaper accounts.
