The CARRIER was a river barge that was active from 1862 to 1864. It had a register tonnage of 143.54 tons and measured 93.33 feet in length. The barge had a capacity of 11,000 bushels and featured a round stern design. It was built in 1862 by P. Coulter (some sources show J.B. Auger as the builder) in Montreal. The CARRIER was owned by J. & H. McLennan during the years 1862 to 1864.
In 1863, the barge was rated 1 out of a possible 3, indicating its condition or reliability. By 1864, it received a rating of A, suggesting an improvement in its condition. The CARRIER was valued at $2,500 in both years.
The barge underwent a rebuild in 1870 and changed ownership to St. Lawrence & Chicago Forwarding, operated by Coulthurst & McPhee, from 1870 to 1877. During this period, it was mentioned as carrying coal from Montreal to Kingston for the gas company. The last recorded owner of the CARRIER was Geo. Chaffey.
Unfortunately, the barge sank in the St. Lawrence River, leading to the closure of its registry on March 9, 1880.
Information about the CARRIER and its ownership history is derived from various sources, including the Alpena Public Library Great Lakes Maritime Database, Association of Canadian La Underwriters Marine Register, Bush Commercial Navigation of the Rideau Canal, Canadian Heritage Ship Information Database, Marine Museum of the Great Lakes Canadian Ship Registers, and Kingston Daily News.
