description
- Schooner
- 55fw 18m
- 125ft Length
- Humber Bay, Lake Ontario
- N 43 37.139 W 079 26.743
The Julia B. Merrill, a schooner, was constructed in 1872 in Wenona (West Bay City), Michigan. It was built by George Carpenter and originally owned by Merrill & Skeele of Chicago, Illinois. The vessel had a wooden hull and featured a single deck. With three masts, it was designed as a schooner and had a length of 125.5 feet, a beam of 26.5 feet, and a depth of 8.2 feet. Its gross tonnage was recorded as 200.
On July 1, 1931, the Julia B. Merrill met its final fate in Toronto, Ontario, on Lake Ontario. The ship was engulfed in flames and burned down completely. The incident was considered a spectacle, attracting attention due to the magnitude of the fire.
Throughout its history, the Julia B. Merrill had a series of events and ownership changes. It was enrolled in Chicago on September 21, 1872, and launched in Wenona, Michigan, on October 7 of the same year. In 1882, the vessel was measured again, and its tonnage was adjusted to 200 gross tons and 190 net tons. In November 1886, the ship experienced a leak off Waukegon, Illinois, which caused it to sink. However, the crew was rescued, and the vessel was later raised and repaired.
The Julia B. Merrill underwent repairs at the Chicago Dry Dock in 1887. In 1894, it was involved in a collision with the steamer WALLACE in Chicago. Ownership of the ship changed hands over the years, with Jason V. Davidson of Toledo, Ohio, becoming the owner in 1906. In 1910, the vessel was sold to H. Daryaw of Kingston, Ontario, and registered under the Canadian register number 126468. W.H. Peacock & Co of Port Hope, Ontario, took ownership of the ship in 1928.
By 1931, the Julia B. Merrill had become one of the last two sailing vessels remaining on Lake Ontario. It was eventually sold with the intention of being burned at Sunnyside Beach in Toronto. The ship’s fate was sealed as it was destroyed in flames, marking the end of its existence as a sailing vessel.
