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.

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Vessel Name: Gold Hunter
• Year of Build: 1862
• Built At: Black Creek, Marysburgh Township, Ontario
• Vessel Type: Schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Builder Name: John Tait (hull initially built by William Dulmage)
• Original Owners: Solomon & David Sylvester et al., Toronto, Ontario
• Ownership Notes: Later owned by James Heckman & David A. Gates
• Vessel Type: Schooner
• Hull Materials: Wood
• Number of Decks: 1
• Number of Masts: 2
• Class: Unspecified
• HULL DIMENSIONS:
  • Length: Approximately 100 feet (keel)
  • Tonnage: Initially 263 tons register, later reduced to 219 tons without impairing cargo capacity
• Cargo Capacity: Capable of stowing 13,000 bushels

HISTORY:

The Gold Hunter was constructed in 1862 in Prince Edward County, at the mouth of Black Creek, north of Port Milford. The keel was laid by Capt. William Dulmage, who eventually sold the unfinished vessel to Capt. Cummings Hume. Along with his partners, William Ellis and Jacob Jackson, Capt. Hume commissioned Jack Tait, a renowned shipbuilder in the county, to complete the schooner. The vessel was launched by September 1863 and was a capable grain carrier, with a significant cargo capacity for the region.

The schooner was known for its smart design, including a clipper bow and a white and green color scheme. Her name was painted as “GOLD HUNTER of MILFORD” on her stern. Initially engaged in local grain trade, she was later put to work in the larger grain-carrying trade from Chicago to Collingwood and Kingston.

Notable Events:

• 1866: The Gold Hunter was involved in a notable incident where she required towing by Her Majesty’s gunboat Prince Alfred off a lee shore in Georgian Bay. The specific circumstances remain unclear, but a drawing of the event exists, indicating it was a significant episode.
• November 3, 1871: The Gold Hunter ran aground on an uncharted shoal in Smith’s Bay, Manitoulin Island, after loading 165,000 feet of lumber at Collins Inlet. The incident occurred during a gale of wind and snow, leading to her hold filling with water. The outcome of the incident remains unknown, as the document detailing the event does not provide a conclusion.

FINAL DISPOSITION:

• Final Location: Ghegheto Island near Wiarton, Ontario, in the Fishing Islands, Lake Huron
• Date: October 14, 1890
• Final Cargo: Cedar logs
• How: Wrecked after striking a shoal while attempting to navigate through a channel to reach the open lake. The vessel was a total loss, and the registry was closed on December 31, 1901.

HISTORY:
Chronology:

• 1862, October 15: Registered in Picton, Ontario. Hull built by William Dulmage and finished by John Tait.
• 1864: Owned by Jackson & Hume, Milford, Ontario.
• 1866, May: Aground at Fighting Island, Detroit River.
• 1866, August: Damaged sails on Lake Erie.
• 1867, August 29: Aground at Bar Point, Lake Erie.
• 1871, November 15: Ashore at Cape Smith near Lonely Island with a heavy cargo. The schooner was released by the gunboat Prince Alfred but was caught in a storm while being towed back. She was cut loose and went ashore at Cabot’s Head. The crew eventually reached Owen Sound after enduring significant hardships.
• 1872: Rebuilt; owned by the Sylvester group, with tonnage reduced to 219 tons.
• 1874: Registered again in Picton, Ontario, owned by James H. Hickman of Toronto; measured 114.9 feet x 25 feet x 10 feet.
• 1877, August 26: Went ashore with a load of lumber at Bar Point.
• 1885, March 12: Owned by Joseph Jackson, Toronto, Ontario.
• 1886: Registered in Picton, owned by Solomon Sylvester, Toronto; dimensions remained 114 feet x 25 feet x 10.2 feet.
• 1888, July 10: Owned by Mary Ann McLeod.
• 1889, Fall: Went ashore on the west side of the Bruce Peninsula.
• 1890, October 14: Wrecked at Lake Huron near Ghegheto Island in the Fishing Islands. The Gold Hunter struck a shoal while trying to navigate through a channel into the open lake, carrying a cargo of cedar logs. The schooner was lost, and her registry was closed on December 31, 1901.

LOCATED BY & DATE:

• Located By: The wreck was identified in Lake Huron near Wiarton, Ontario, on October 14, 1890.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

• Marine Registers
• Inland Lloyds’ Marine Directory
• Canadian Registers

This entry provides a comprehensive history of the Gold Hunter, outlining the schooner’s ownership, significant events, and eventual wreck in Lake Huron. The ship’s numerous groundings and final destruction highlight the challenges faced by vessels navigating the Great Lakes during this era.

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