Legacy Notes & Full Historical Record

This section preserves the original unedited Shotline content for this wreck so that no historical detail is lost as we transition to the new logbook format.

The Wreck of the E.L. MASON (ELLA G. STONE) – 1881 Tugboat

Identification & Site Information

• Vessel Name: E.L. MASON (later renamed ELLA G. STONE)
• Official Number: 135527
• Year Built: 1881
• Final Location: West Duluth, Minnesota
• Lake: Superior
• Date Lost: October 12, 1918
• Cause of Loss: Burned in the Cloquet Fire of 1918
• GPS Coordinates: 46° 43′ 24″ N, 92° 09′ 03″ W
• Type: Tugboat (Towboat)
• Hull Material: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Hull Features: Plain head, round stern
• Builder: Abram Smith
• Built at: Algonac, Michigan
• Original Owner: J.B. Smith, L’Anse, Michigan
• Propulsion: Screw-driven
• Engine Type: High-Pressure Steam Engine
• Cylinders: 1
• Boiler: 6.5 x 13′ steel boiler, 100 psi
• Propellers: 1
• Length: 69 ft (21 m)
• Beam: 15 ft (4.6 m)
• Depth: 9 ft (2.7 m)
• Gross Tonnage: 42.45 tons
• Net Tonnage: 21.23 tons

History

The E.L. MASON, later renamed ELLA G. STONE, was built in 1881 in Algonac, Michigan as a wooden-hulled tugboat. Initially enrolled in Marquette, Michigan, the vessel changed ownership several times over its long career, primarily operating in Lake Superior and the Duluth area.

Chronology

• 1881, Sep 14: Enrolled in Marquette, Michigan.
• 1882, Oct 28: Sold to Ezra T. Williams, L’Anse, Michigan.
• 1883, Jul 14: Purchased by the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad Company, renamed ELLA G. STONE, and entered general service in Duluth & Agate Bay, Minnesota.
• 1898, Mar 16: Owned by Ezra T. Williams and partners in Chicago.
• 1902, Mar 28: Owned by Lake Superior Contracting & Dredging Company, Duluth.
• 1906, Apr 6: Owned by Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company, New Jersey, and Oscar Jorsch, Duluth.
• 1907, Aug 17: Purchased by Northern Dredge Company, Duluth.
• 1908, Jan 13: Ownership transferred to Northern Dredge & Dock Company, Duluth.
• 1918, Oct 12: Destroyed in the Cloquet Fire of 1918, while tied up at West Duluth.

Final Disposition: The Cloquet Fire of 1918

The Cloquet Fire was one of the most devastating wildfires in Minnesota history, destroying entire towns and industrial areas, including much of West Duluth’s docks and shipyards. The E.L. MASON (ELLA G. STONE) was docked along Grassy Point, an area with heavy industrial and maritime activity, when the flames overtook the waterfront.

The fire engulfed multiple vessels, including:

• Dipper Dredge DULUTH
• Tug MENTOR
• Tug JOHN JEFFREY, JR. and several scows

The E.L. MASON was completely destroyed, and its registration documents were surrendered in Duluth on December 18, 1918, marking its official end.

Located By & Date Found

• The vessel was never recovered, as it was completely burned and destroyed in the fire.
• No known remains exist today.

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Maritime Database
• Minnesota Historical Society
• Duluth Marine Museum Archives
• Cloquet Fire of 1918 Disaster Reports

Conclusion

The E.L. MASON (ELLA G. STONE) was a reliable workhorse of the Great Lakes, serving in towing and dredging operations for nearly four decades. Its loss in the Cloquet Fire of 1918 was part of a larger maritime disaster, as the fire destroyed an entire fleet along the Duluth docks.

While little physical evidence remains of the tug today, its story is an important chapter in both Great Lakes maritime history and the tragic fire disaster that reshaped northern Minnesota.

The E.L. MASON, later renamed ELLA G. STONE, was built in 1881 in Algonac, Michigan as a wooden-hulled tugboat. Initially enrolled in Marquette, Michigan, the vessel changed ownership several times over its long career, primarily operating in Lake Superior and the Duluth area. e-l-mason-ella-g-stone 1918-10-12 07:56:00