Other Names
- Rebuilt on BARCALONA 1836
The news article from the Ogdensburg Gazette and the Buffalo Journal & General Advertiser reports a steamboat disaster involving the newly built steamboat “Brownville.” The steamboat, owned by E.B. Dodd and others from Jefferson County, caught fire on its first trip on the river. The fire spread rapidly, leading to the boat’s destruction near Alexandria Bay on the St. Lawrence River. The cargo, including ashes, pork, beer, and whisky, was mostly lost, but fortunately, no lives were reported lost. The boat’s value, along with its cargo, was estimated at around $13,000.
In a later article, the Watertown Despatch recalls the incident as a steamboat reminiscence from fifty years ago (around 1828). After the disaster, the hull of the burnt steamboat was towed back to Brownville, rebuilt, and renamed as the “Wm. Avery.” The article mentions that steamboat navigation to and from Brownville seems to have ended around that time. However, it is noted that fifty years later, a new steamboat is set to float on the waters of Black River at Brownville.
