Grace M. Filer was a schooner registered under the United States flag with the official number 85312. Constructed in 1874 by William W. Bates & Co. in Chicago, Illinois, the vessel had a length of 128.75 feet, a width of 27.42 feet, and a depth of 9.00 feet. It featured three masts and had a gross tonnage of 237.07 and a net tonnage of 225.22. The hull was made of wood.
The schooner’s history dates back to April 11, 1874, when it received its first enrollment in Chicago. Initially owned by Halvor Michelson from Chicago, Illinois, the Grace M. Filer underwent a rebuild in 1914 according to Canadian measures, resulting in a modified size of 125.42 feet in length, 27.25 feet in width, and 9 feet in depth, with a registered tonnage of 215.
Over the years, the Grace M. Filer experienced various incidents and changes in ownership. On October 19, 1883, the vessel was driven ashore in Cedar River, Green Bay, while carrying a cargo of lumber destined for Chicago. It encountered another grounding on November 7, 1901, in Escanaba, Michigan, on Lake Michigan. The ownership of the schooner transferred to Joe Fagen of Belleville, Ontario, on September 29, 1913, and it was registered under the number C11968.
By August 25, 1930, Francis A. Smith had become a part owner of the Grace M. Filer. During this time, the vessel was dismantled, and the hull suffered partial destruction. Finally, in 1937, the schooner met its end when it was dynamited off Belleville, Ontario, in the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario. After several years of disuse, the decision was made to destroy the vessel, resulting in the blowing up of the hull.
