FARWELL, JESSIE H. (1881, Bulk Freighter)
Identification & Site Information:
•Vessel Name: FARWELL, JESSIE H.
•Also Known As: JAMES W. FOLLETTE
•Year of Build: 1881
•Official Number: 76203
Construction and Ownership
•Built at: Gibraltar, Michigan
•Vessel Type: Bulk Freighter
•Hull Materials: Wood
•Number of Decks: 2
•Builder Name: Linn & Craig
•Original Owner: Adams & Farwell, Detroit, MI
Power and Propulsion
•Number of Masts: 3
•Propulsion: Screw-driven, steam-powered
•Engine Type: For-and-Aft Compound
•# of Cylinders: 2
•# of Boilers: 1
•# of Propellers: 1
•Propulsion Notes: Powered by a 27 + 44 x 40” engine producing 400hp at 72rpm, built by Buhl Iron Works of Detroit. It also had a 9 x 16’ steam firebox boiler with an 85# pressure rating, also built by Buhl Iron Works.
Hull Dimensions
•Length: 212.2 feet
•Beam: 35.6 feet
•Depth: 19.6 feet
•Tonnage (Gross): 1,200.96 tons
•Tonnage (Net): 997.65 tons
•Capacity: 1,326 tons
Vessel Type
The Jessie H. Farwell was a wooden bulk freighter, a type of vessel commonly used on the Great Lakes to transport large quantities of bulk goods such as coal, iron ore, and grain. These freighters were critical to the industrial growth of the Midwest and Northeast regions of the United States and Canada. Built with two decks and three masts, the vessel was primarily driven by a screw propeller powered by a for-and-aft compound engine.
History
The Jessie H. Farwell was launched in April 1881 at Gibraltar, Michigan, and was initially enrolled in Detroit the following month. The freighter was heavily involved in the booming iron ore industry, running between Escanaba, MI, and Ashtabula, OH, early in its career. Like many freighters of its era, the Farwell was frequently used in towing operations, often pulling the barge J. H. Rutter.
The vessel experienced several incidents throughout its service, including running aground on Fighting Island in the Detroit River in 1885. Over the years, it underwent multiple ownership changes and significant modifications. Notably, in 1912, the Farwell was rebuilt as a steambarge, reducing its masts and decks and renaming the vessel James W. Follette. The rebuilt ship was primarily used for hauling coal and other bulk goods, serving several companies along Lake Ontario and other Great Lakes ports.
By 1917, the vessel was under Canadian ownership, and in 1918, it was owned by the George Hall Coal & Transportation Company of Ogdensburg, NY. Despite a long and productive career, the ship met its end in 1923 when it sank during a storm on Lake Ontario.
Final Disposition
The Farwell was dismantled and sunk in mid-lake during a storm on May 16, 1923. Its final resting place is somewhere in Lake Ontario, although the exact location remains unidentified. The vessel was reportedly dismantled before it sank, indicating that it was no longer fully operational and may have been used as a barge or transport vessel at the time of its demise.
Located By & Date
There are no confirmed modern records of the Jessie H. Farwell‘s wreckage being located in Lake Ontario. The wreck likely lies deep beneath the lake’s surface, uncharted and largely forgotten among the many other wrecks lost to the waters of the Great Lakes.
