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.

Identification Card (Site Style)

Description

The Oshawa was a mid-19th-century wooden propeller cargo steamer, built in Montreal in 1854 by shipbuilder A. Cantin. At 329 tons, she was part of Canada’s growing fleet of screw-driven lake freighters used to carry bulk commodities between Montreal, Kingston, and U.S. lake ports. Her construction and propulsion reflect a transitional period in Great Lakes shipping, moving from sail and side-wheel steamers to screw-propelled freighters.

History

Originally owned by H. & S. Jones, the vessel passed into the hands of James Black of Montreal before being operated by Parry & Black’s Beaver Line. She was engaged in scheduled freight runs, typically hauling flour, grain, and other trade goods across Lake Ontario and into the St. Lawrence River network.

On 29 September 1861, while carrying 3,500 barrels of flour, Oshawa encountered a gale on Lake Ontario. She drove ashore near South Bay, ~48 km west of Kingston, heeled onto her beam ends, and stranded in shallow water.

Final Disposition

Salvage was attempted by the steamer William IV, which recovered some cargo. Although her machinery was later salvaged and reused in the propeller Contain, the vessel herself was declared a constructive total loss. Her hull likely broke apart in situ in shallow water. No fatalities were recorded.

Located By & Date Found

The wreck was known at the time of stranding. No modern archaeological surveys or dive expeditions have documented remains. Wreckage may still be scattered across the shoals of South Bay beneath sediment cover.

Notmars & Advisories

South Bay is known for shoals, shifting sediments, and hazardous shallows. No specific Notices to Mariners exist for the Oshawa wreck; caution is advised to recreational boaters in the area.

Dive Information

Access: Boat access only.
Entry Point: South Bay shoreline.
Conditions: Shallow water (6 ft), shifting sediments, poor visibility.
Depth Range: ~2 m (6 ft).
Emergency Contacts: Canadian Coast Guard, Kingston base.
Permits: Required under Ontario heritage legislation for any disturbance or survey.
Dive Support: Kingston dive operators; shallow recreational site if remains persist.

Crew & Casualty Memorials

No fatalities were recorded. Crew names are absent from available reports. Period newspapers (Kingston, Montreal, Toronto) may contain rescue or salvage accounts.

Documented Statements & Extracts

“The steamer Oshawa, laden with flour, went ashore in a gale near South Bay… though her machinery was later salvaged, the vessel was deemed a total loss.” — Great Lakes wreck reports, secondary compilation

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

Registry records place her initial ownership with H. & S. Jones of Montreal, later transferred to James Black. By 1861, she was operated by Parry & Black’s Beaver Line. Insurance details are unrecorded, though the salvage of machinery suggests coverage for mechanical components. Further research is warranted in Montreal shipping ledgers and marine insurance records.

Site Documentation & Imaging

No underwater documentation, sonar mapping, or photographic surveys exist. Wreck remains are presumed buried or destroyed in shallow water.

Image Gallery

Resources & Links

• Great Lakes Rex Shipwreck Files – Oshawa
• Maritime History of the Great Lakes (MHGL)
• Chronicling America – Period Newspapers
• Great Lakes Vessels Database (BGSU/HCGL)

References

1. Great Lakes Rex Shipwreck Files, “Oshawa” (1854–1861).
2. Bruce Weichel Research Files, Bruce County Museum, “Canadian Steamer Losses” index.
3. Canadian shipping records, Montreal builders’ registry (A. Contain). [Archival citation pending].

NOAA/WHS Shipwreck Record Card