ST. LOUIS C75386

Table of Contents

Schooner
98ffw
121f Length
Wolfe Island Graveyard, Lake Ontario
N 44’06.885 W76’33.571

On June 11, 1877, Mr. Shickluna, a well-known shipbuilder in St. Catharines, launched a new canal schooner named ST. LOUIS. The schooner made its maiden trip to Toledo, arriving on Thursday after being launched the previous June. This full-sized canaller was regarded as one of the finest vessels in its class. The ST. LOUIS, a three-and-after, double topsail schooner, had a tonnage of 333.60 tons.

The dimensions of the ST. LOUIS were as follows: 142 feet in length overall on deck, a beam of twenty-six feet six inches, and a depth of hold of twelve feet. It was wire rigged and equipped with modern conveniences and improvements, suitable for both the lumber and grain trade. The vessel had a capacity of 21,000 bushels of corn through the canal.

According to the Cleveland Herald on August 29, 1877, the ST. LOUIS was built and owned by L. Shickluna, a prominent shop owner in St. Catharines. Its value was estimated at $20,000.

As of December 31, 1887, the ST. LOUIS was listed in the registry books of the Dominion of Canada as a barkentine with an official number of 75636. It was built in St. Catharines, Ontario, in 1877. The vessel had a homeport in St. Catharines, with dimensions of 127.7 feet in length, 26.2 feet in beam, and 11.9 feet in depth. The gross and net tonnage were both recorded as 360.6.

The final disposition of the ST. LOUIS took place in Kingston, Ontario, on March 15, 1926, when the vessel burned at its dock. It was later removed to the deep waters of the 9 Mile Point graveyard in Lake Ontario.

Throughout its history, the ST. LOUIS had various owners and experienced notable events. It was initially enrolled in St. Catharines on August 4, 1877, and its tonnage increased to 400 gross tons by 1879. The vessel was towed by the MYLES together with the GULNAIR in the Duluth and Kingston grain trade in 1887. Ownership changed on June 5, 1889, when it was acquired by J.W. Hanna of Windsor, Ontario.

In 1892, the ST. LOUIS was involved in the lumber trade, operating between Duluth, Minnesota, and Tonawanda, New York, alongside the WINOWA. It was towed by the steambarge SHICKLUNA in 1896. A significant incident occurred in September 1897 when the ST. LOUIS ran aground near Fish Point, four miles south of Oscoda, Michigan, in Lake Huron. It was bound for Port Arthur from Kingston with grain and got stuck along with the SHICKLUNA. The tug THOMPSON successfully released the SHICKLUNA, and the ST. LOUIS was freed on October 24 and towed to Port Huron for repairs.

In April 1911, the ownership of the ST. LOUIS was transferred to Kingston, where it was eventually abandoned in the inner harbor. Its final chapter came on March 15, 1926, when the vessel burned and was subsequently scuttled in Lake Ontario.