Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Pioneer
- Type: Wooden Screw Steamer
- Year Built: 1879
- Builder: H. Walton
- Dimensions: 34 ft × 8 ft × 3 ft
- Registered Tonnage: 11
- Location: Magnetawan River, Ontario
- Official Number: 80599
- Original Owners: E. A. Morris, Magnetawan, Ontario
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
Small wooden screw steamer—likely used for riverine/pioneer transport on the Magnetawan River.
Description
Constructed of wood, typical of regional 19th-century river craft. At 11 gross tons, modestly sized—probably a single-deck hull with foredeck and aft cabin. Propulsion by a small (4½” bore, 5″ stroke) steam engine suggests low-to-moderate speed, suited to transport of passengers or supplies along inland waterways.
History
- 1879: Built by H. Walton in Magnetawan; engine installed by W. Hamilton & Co., Peterborough.
- Ownership: E. A. Morris, local entrepreneur—likely engaged in logging, settlers’ freight, or passenger ferrying.
- Service Area: Magnetawan watershed region on Georgian Bay’s river systems.
Gaps: No newspaper notices or vessel registries (e.g., Ontario Sessional Papers) have been found specifically mentioning “Pioneer” ON 80599, unlike larger steamers listed in period documents. Action: Suggest a review of microfilmed regional newspapers (c. 1879–1900) from Parry Sound or Magnetawan for launch announcements, service notices, or accident reports involving “Pioneer.”
Final Disposition
Listed as “scuttled,” but without specifics. This could indicate retirement and deliberate sinking in shallow water, possibly to serve as a dock or to clear the channel. Action: Check local land surveys, dredging logs, ferry records, and oral histories that may reference an intentionally sunk vessel in the Magnetawan River or associated lakes.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Located?: Not yet documented in Great Lakes wreck databases or NOAA/Thunder Bay listings.
- Condition: Unknown; scuttled wrecks are often shallow, reduced to pilings or low-profile debris.
Action: Recommend a targeted sonar survey of downstream falls or bends where shallow scuttling was common; survey magnetometer logs and community dive logs for unrecorded wreck.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”pioneer-c-80599″ title=”References & Links”]
The Pioneer ON 80599 was a modest yet historically significant riverine steam craft integral to development in late 19th-century Magnetawan. Its final fate—being scuttled—was a common fate for small vessels once obsolete, yet its unlocated status today presents an excellent research or dive opportunity. Future archival work and remote-sensing surveys may yield its resting place.
Full Wreck Record — complete historical article, construction details, voyage logs, incident reports, dive conditions, and all research sources.
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