The CALEDONIA was a wooden two-masted schooner that was built in 1842 by Jacob Randall in Port Credit, Ontario. It had a length of 91 feet, a beam of 18.3 feet, and a depth of 8.9 feet. The vessel had a tonnage of 128 tons according to the old measurement system.
On September 8, 1881, the Caledonia encountered a severe storm on Lake Ontario near Bluff Point, near Oshawa, Ontario. The schooner was driven ashore on a reef and heavily damaged by a southeast gale. By September 20th, the ship had broken up. Two lives were lost in the incident.
The Caledonia had a history of incidents prior to its final loss. In September 1871, it stranded on S. Bay Point and was expected to become a total loss but was recovered the following year. In September 1860, the vessel ran ashore in Oswego with lumber and was reported as broken in two.
Throughout its history, the Caledonia underwent repairs and changes in ownership. It was rebuilt in Toronto in 1850 and 1870, and it changed hands several times. It was owned by various individuals and companies, including McMurrick & Co., Robert Moody, T. Herrington, McConn & Co., B. Shaver, and Owen Butler.
In 1885, the Caledonia was rebuilt with new dimensions of 87.5 x 18 x 8.9 feet and had a gross tonnage of 129 tons. From 1886 to 1891, it was owned by Henry Maitland of Brighton, Ontario.
There is also a mention of the Caledonia running ashore on Gull Bar on Lake Ontario, but it was able to get off in that instance.
