FOREST QUEEN C77630

Forest Queen, a schooner, had a varied history marked by multiple incidents and changes in ownership. Built in 1853, the vessel measured 92 feet in length with a beam of 20 feet and a depth of 8 feet, amounting to a tonnage of 208 according to the old measurement system. Initially owned by H. McCrenny of Oakville, Ontario, the Forest Queen encountered its first recorded mishap in November 1854 when it ran aground near Presque Isle Harbor.

In June 1855, the schooner was registered in Hamilton, Ontario, under the ownership of John Taylor from Caledonia. The Forest Queen underwent a name change in 1857, becoming the Fidelity. However, by 1860, the vessel was once again renamed the Forest Queen and came under the ownership of Zealand & Co. based in Hamilton. Its tonnage remained at 208 according to the old measurement system.

Over the years, the Forest Queen changed hands several times. In 1865, Robert G. Post of Pickering, Ontario, became the owner, and by 1866, J. Taylor of Hamilton took ownership. The vessel underwent significant reconstruction and expansion in 1867 at Shickluna in St. Catharines, Ontario. After the rebuild, it measured 102 feet in length, 23 feet in width, and 9 feet in depth, with a gross tonnage of 146 and a net tonnage of 137.

The Forest Queen encountered a collision with the Tonawanda on October 24, 1868. Following repairs, it came under the ownership of F. W. Collins from Oswego, New York, in 1875. Subsequently, the vessel changed hands and was owned in Kingston, Ontario, in 1879, and later by George E. Yott from Belleville, Ontario, in 1884.

Unfortunately, the Forest Queen met its final demise on November 26, 1887. While sailing from Cobourg to Belleville, the schooner ran aground on Indian Point during a snowstorm and was declared a total loss. The wreck report of 1887 states that the vessel, at the time of the accident, had a registered tonnage of 137 and was 33 years old. The estimated property loss from the incident was $1,000.