H. HOUGHTEN

The H. Houghten was a steambarge built in 1889 in West Bay City, Michigan. It was constructed using wood as the primary hull material and featured iron-lined boiler houses, steel arches, and a “rabbit” design. The vessel had a single deck and a hull number of 59. The original owners of the H. Houghten were Henry Houghten and others from Detroit, Michigan.

Powered by a for-and-aft compound engine with two cylinders measuring 15 + 27 x 22 inches, the H. Houghten had a propulsion system consisting of a screw. The engine, manufactured by J.B. Wilson Iron Works in Detroit, provided 250 horsepower at 110 revolutions per minute. The steam for the engine was generated by a 7 x 12 feet firebox boiler with a steam pressure of 125 pounds, built by J. Brennan Co. in Detroit.

With a length of 126 feet, a beam of 27 feet, and a depth of 8.2 feet, the H. Houghten had a gross tonnage of 210 and a net tonnage of 151.

On November 20, 1926, the H. Houghten met its final disposition near Harper’s Point in the Shybona Channel of the St. Clair River, approximately 7 miles below Algonac, Michigan. The vessel was engulfed in flames and burned to the waterline, with the cabins located astern. The incident occurred in the early morning hours. Subsequently, on December 30, 1926, the vessel’s documents were surrendered in Port Huron, Michigan.

Throughout its history, the H. Houghten operated in various capacities, including transporting lumber, coal, sand, and gravel. It towed barges and was involved in collisions and incidents. The pilothouse of the vessel was moved to the forecastle in 1891. It was also engaged in towing other vessels such as the Atlantis and barges named Dobbie and Dobbins.

In 1902, the H. Houghten sank in a collision at the south end of Lake St. Clair while carrying a cargo of stone. In 1916, the vessel capsized and filled with water at Mullen Coal Dock in Sandwich (Windsor), Ontario. In 1920, it was rebuilt and converted into a sand sucker, owned by Winaford L. Emery of Detroit, Michigan. Subsequently, it came under the ownership of F.D. Gleason Coal Co. and then Service Gravel Company of Marysville, Michigan.

The H. Houghten gained notoriety as the “Hungry Houghten” due to the actions of its captain and crew. They would secretly drift down the river, taking sand from various properties without compensating the riparian landlords who owned the riverfront. This led to disputes and a reputation for the vessel.

The wreck of the H. Houghten, along with another nearby wreck, can be found in the Snybora Channel in Lake St. Clair. The vessel was salvaged, and a crane was added to its bow during its conversion into a sand sucker. A model of the H. Houghten is on display at the Dossin Museum on Belle Isle in Detroit, Michigan. Other models of the vessel may exist, including one that was previously displayed at the Chattanooga Choo-Choo in Tennessee.