Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Name: Stuart H. Dunn
- Type: Schooner / Barge
- Year Built: 1877
- Builder: George Dickson, South Bay, Prince Edward County, Ontario
- Dimensions: 164.8 ft (50.2 m) X 26.8 ft (8.2 m); Depth of hold: 12.7 ft (3.9 m)
- Registered Tonnage: 458 tons
- Location: Near Whitby, Ontario
- Official Number: C.72964
- Original Owners: W. R. Taylor, Dunn and Company, Conger Coal Company
- Number of Masts: Three-masted schooner (original), unrigged (final)
Wreck Location Map
Vessel Type
- Original Configuration: Three-masted schooner (timber drogher)
- Final Configuration: Unrigged wooden coal barge
Description
The Stuart H. Dunn began her life as one of the largest Canadian lake schooners of the 19th century, purpose-built for the timber trade. She was one of few schooners equipped with two centerboards, facilitating greater control and balance under heavy loads. Her post-rebuild sail plan was elaborate, with 13 sails including gaff topsails, raffees, a square topsail, and four jibs.
The stern displayed the Masonic square-and-compass emblem, a common insignia on Great Lakes craft of the era. Her later conversion to a barge involved complete removal of rigging, bowsprit, and deck gear.
History
- Operated by W. R. Taylor in the timber export trade, especially squared oak between Toledo and Garden Island (Kingston), forming rafts for St. Lawrence transport.
- Likely associated with Dunn and Company by the time of her wreck and salvage.
- After going ashore in 1888, she was salvaged and rebuilt at Port Robinson, and renamed Stuart H. Dunn in honor of the new owners.
- Underwent significant enlargement and re-rigging; continued timber service into the 1890s.
- Purchased by Conger Coal Company of Toronto, operated under Capt. Alex Ure.
- Converted to barge use around 1910, with rig removed and hull repurposed for coal hauling from U.S. Lake Ontario ports to Toronto.
- Towed frequently by the tug Joseph L. Russell (formerly the steamer Lakeside).
Significant Incidents
- July 4, 1920: Stuart H. Dunn foundered at Port Dalhousie piers, declared a constructive total loss, but was salvaged and resumed operations.
- By 1924–1925, she was laid up and deteriorating in Toronto’s east harbor, among derelicts like John Rolph, Rickarton, and the Roller Boat.
Final Disposition
- In 1926, during waterfront redevelopment by the Toronto Harbour Commission, Stuart H. Dunn was towed to a marsh near Whitby, Ontario, then eventually towed out and scuttled in deep Lake Ontario waters.
- The vessel remained listed in shipping registers for years after her disappearance, likely due to unsurrendered documentation.
Current Condition & Accessibility
- Wreck Site: Unknown. Presumed scuttled offshore from Whitby, Ontario.
- No sonar, ROV, or diver survey has located her remains.
- Likely deeply buried or disintegrated; considered archaeologically unconfirmed.
Resources & Links
[shotline_reference_links slug=”stuart-h-dunn-w-r-taylor-c-72964″ title=”References & Links” show_ref_button=”yes”]
The Stuart H. Dunn is emblematic of the lifecycle of 19th-century Great Lakes schooners: built for timber, later repurposed for coal, and finally discarded as obsolete hulls in a changing technological era. Her endurance and adaptability over nearly 50 years of service, transitioning through multiple owners and trades, reflect the broader industrial narrative of Canadian inland maritime commerce.
From a maritime heritage perspective, her story underscores the importance of schooner barges in sustaining pre-steam commerce and the quiet, unsung final chapters many such vessels met—reduced to boneyard hulks or scuttled without fanfare.
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.
Stuart H. Dunn (formerly W. R. Taylor, Official Number: C.72964)
Shotline Diving Wreck Profile
- Vessel Name: Stuart H. Dunn
- Original Name: W. R. Taylor
- Official Number: C.72964
- Year Built: 1877
- Builder: George Dickson (or Dixon), South Bay, Prince Edward County, Ontario
- Port of Registry (initial): Kingston, Ontario
- Rebuilt: 1889 at Port Robinson, Welland Canal
- Converted to Barge: Circa 1910
- Final Disposition: Scuttled in Lake Ontario near Whitby, Ontario (post-1926)
Vessel Type
- Original Configuration: Three-masted schooner (timber drogher)
- Final Configuration: Unrigged wooden coal barge
Dimensions (Post-Rebuild)
- Length: 164.8 ft (50.2 m)
- Beam: 26.8 ft (8.2 m)
- Depth: 12.7 ft (3.9 m)
- Gross Tonnage: 458 tons
Description
The Stuart H. Dunn began her life as one of the largest Canadian lake schooners of the 19th century, purpose-built for the timber trade. She was one of few schooners equipped with two centerboards, facilitating greater control and balance under heavy loads. Her post-rebuild sail plan was elaborate, with 13 sails including gaff topsails, raffees, a square topsail, and four jibs.
The stern displayed the Masonic square-and-compass emblem, a common insignia on Great Lakes craft of the era. Her later conversion to a barge involved complete removal of rigging, bowsprit, and deck gear.
Early Career (1877–1888)
- Operated by W. R. Taylor in the timber export trade, especially squared oak between Toledo and Garden Island (Kingston), forming rafts for St. Lawrence transport.
- Likely associated with Dunn and Company by the time of her wreck and salvage.
Reconstruction (1889)
- After going ashore in 1888, she was salvaged and rebuilt at Port Robinson, and renamed Stuart H. Dunn in honor of the new owners.
- Underwent significant enlargement and re-rigging; continued timber service into the 1890s.
Transition to Barge (1900s–1920s)
- Purchased by Conger Coal Company of Toronto, operated under Capt. Alex Ure.
- Converted to barge use around 1910, with rig removed and hull repurposed for coal hauling from U.S. Lake Ontario ports to Toronto.
- Towed frequently by the tug Joseph L. Russell (formerly the steamer Lakeside).
Decline and Retirement (1920–1926)
- July 4, 1920: Stuart H. Dunn foundered at Port Dalhousie piers, declared a constructive total loss, but was salvaged and resumed operations.
- By 1924–1925, she was laid up and deteriorating in Toronto’s east harbor, among derelicts like John Rolph, Rickarton, and the Roller Boat.
Final Disposition
- In 1926, during waterfront redevelopment by the Toronto Harbour Commission, Stuart H. Dunn was towed to a marsh near Whitby, Ontario, then eventually towed out and scuttled in deep Lake Ontario waters.
- The vessel remained listed in shipping registers for years after her disappearance, likely due to unsurrendered documentation.
Located By & Date Found
- Wreck Site: Unknown. Presumed scuttled offshore from Whitby, Ontario.
- No sonar, ROV, or diver survey has located her remains.
- Likely deeply buried or disintegrated; considered archaeologically unconfirmed.
Notmars & Advisories
None noted.
Resources & Links
- Toronto Marine Historical Society – Ship of the Month No. 114
- Murphy Photograph Collection (Rowley W. Murphy, c. 1908)
- Canadian Shipping Registers (1889–1925), Library and Archives Canada
- Scanner Index – Toronto Marine Historical Society
- David Swayze Shipwreck File
- Maritime History of the Great Lakes
- Great Lakes Ships
- Great Lakes Vessels
- Bowling Green State Univeristy HCGL
Conclusion
The Stuart H. Dunn is emblematic of the lifecycle of 19th-century Great Lakes schooners: built for timber, later repurposed for coal, and finally discarded as obsolete hulls in a changing technological era. Her endurance and adaptability over nearly 50 years of service, transitioning through multiple owners and trades, reflect the broader industrial narrative of Canadian inland maritime commerce.
From a maritime heritage perspective, her story underscores the importance of schooner barges in sustaining pre-steam commerce and the quiet, unsung final chapters many such vessels met—reduced to boneyard hulks or scuttled without fanfare.
Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms
Region: Lake Ontario, Toronto, Whitby
Vessel Type: Schooner, Barge
Cause of Loss: Scuttled
Construction: Wood
Period: 19th–20th Century
Dive Difficulty: Not located
Hazards: Likely deep water, uncharted
Historic Use: Timber trade, coal barge