BAY STATE

Other Names #

• ONTARIO

The Bay State, also known as Ontario, was a propeller ship constructed in 1852 in Buffalo, New York. It was built by Bidwell & Banta and originally owned by the Central Vermont Railway in Cleveland, Ohio. The vessel had a wooden hull and two decks, with dimensions measuring 137 feet in length, 25 feet in width, and 11 feet in depth. It had a tonnage of 372 4/95 in the old style measurement.

Powered by a single screw and equipped with a high-pressure engine, the Bay State embarked on its maiden voyage from Buffalo to Detroit on September 21, 1852. On October 7 of the same year, it was enrolled in Oswego, New York, and owned by D.C. Bancroft. In subsequent years, ownership of the ship changed hands multiple times, with the Watertown & Rome Railroad Co. and the Northern Transportation Co. among the owners.

Throughout its history, the Bay State encountered various incidents and mishaps. In 1856, it struck the piers in Chicago, sinking with a cargo of 100 tons of hardware and package cargo. The cargo was partially recovered in July of that year. In 1857, the ship ran aground in Waukegan, Illinois, and in October of the same year, it suffered engine damage on Lake Erie due to a broken shaft cylinder and other parts.

In 1861, the Bay State underwent major repairs, increasing its tonnage to 372 tons. It was owned by Chamberlain & Crawford of Cleveland, Ohio, at that time. However, on November 2, 1862, tragedy struck as the ship foundered in a gale on Lake Ontario near Little Sodus. It was carrying a cargo of general merchandise and tragically claimed the lives of all 22 people on board, including passengers and crew.

The loss of the Bay State was reported as one of the many shipwrecks during the severe gales that occurred on the lakes in November 1862. The vessel, valued at $14,000, along with its cargo worth an estimated $20,000 to $30,000, was lost in the incident. The casualty list included the name of Patrick Coady, a deckhand from Buffalo, adding a personal connection to the tragedy.

The story of the Bay State serves as a somber reminder of the dangers faced by vessels and their crews during turbulent weather conditions on the Great Lakes. It highlights the risks involved in maritime trade and the unfortunate loss of lives and valuable cargo that can occur in such circumstances.

External Links #

• Great Lakes Ships C. Patrick Labadie
• Notes of Donald V. Baut
• Board of Lake Underwriters Marine Directory
• Burton Collection
• John E. Poole notes, Bowling Green State University
• H. G. Runge Collection, Milwaukee Public Library
• Steamboat Era in the Muskokas by Richard Tatley
• Canadian Registers Enrollments,
• U.S. National Archives
• C. E. Feltner Enrollments Database
• Erik Heyl, Early American Steamers
• Lytle List
• David Swayze Shipwreck File
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes
• Buffalo Daily Courier Thursday, July 12, 1849 
• Buffalo commercial Advertiser, Saturday, May 26, 1849 p.2
• Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, Wednesday, November 29, 1848
• Buffalo Commercial Advertiser, Thursday evening, August 17, 1848
• Bowling Green State University
• Buffalo Daily Courier, Wednesday, June 13, 1849
• Buffalo Daily Courier, Thursday, July 12, 1849
• Board of Lake Underwriters Lake Vessel Register, 1860
• Provisional List of Canadain Merchant Steamships [Inland & Coastal] 1809 to 1930. World Ship Society
• Democrat and Chronicle Story on Discovery Oct 20 2o15
• Buffalo Daily Republic Tuesday, November 8, 1853
• Buffalo Express Jan. 2, 1854 (casualty list)
• Video on the Big Frog FM