F.W. Wheeler & Co. was a prominent shipbuilding firm established by Captain Frank W. Wheeler in 1876 in West Bay City, Michigan. Initially focusing on rebuilding and repair work, the company expanded into constructing larger vessels by 1880. In 1889, it was incorporated with a capital stock of $500,000, continuing to build both wooden and steel ships until 1896. The company was notable for its innovative shipbuilding techniques and contributions to Great Lakes maritime commerce.
Vessels owned, operated or built
- Alta was a wooden schooner-barge equipped with two masts, designed for bulk cargo transport on the Great Lakes. Schooner-barges were often towed by steam tugs, maximizing their efficiency while relying on minimal crew. The Alta was typical of the vessels that dominated Great Lakes shipping during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, capable of transporting significant loads such as lumber and coal.
- B.W. Arnold was a “lumber hooker”, a term used for steamers built to transport large quantities of lumber across the Great Lakes. These vessels were specifically designed to handle deck loads of lumber, often carrying hundreds of thousands of board feet stacked on their decks.
- C.E. Redfern was launched on March 29, 1890, from West Bay City, Michigan. Designed as a schooner-barge, she was built to be towed by a steamship while carrying bulk cargoes such as lumber, coal, and pulpwood.
- Charles H. Bradley was a wooden steambarge built for transporting bulk freight, primarily pulpwood, a critical commodity for the lumber industry of the Great Lakes region. Its design included three masts and a diagonal strapping system for added hull strength, as well as a steel boilerhouse and an ice-sheathed bow to withstand harsh conditions. Propelled by a compound steam engine driving a screw propeller, the vessel reflected the rugged, utilitarian nature of late 19th-century Great Lakes freighters.
- City of Bangor was a steel‑hulled Great Lakes propeller steamship—one‑deck bulk freighter—originally designed for ore and bulk freight transport. She featured coal‑fired boilers powering a triple‑expansion steam engine of approximately 1,235 IHP, with deck hatches spaced roughly at 24 ft intervals (greatlakesvesselhistory.com). In 1926, she was repurposed to carry automobiles, likely involving structural reinforcements and deck modifications to support auto deck loads.
- E.M.B.A. (A.C. Tuxbury)was launched on March 18, 1890, from F.W. Wheeler & Company’s shipyard in West Bay City, Michigan. She was designed as a tow barge, intended to be towed behind a steamship while transporting coal, grain, and lumber. Over her 33 years of service, she frequently traveled between Milwaukee, Chicago, Buffalo, Sturgeon Bay, Menominee, and Escanaba, often paired with her sister ship, the C.E. Redfern, and towed by the steamer W.H. Sawyer.
- George Stone was a large hybrid freighter that combined wooden hull construction with steel reinforcement, marking the transitional period of Great Lakes shipping in the 1890s. She hauled bulk cargo and towed consort barges such as the S.H. Kimball, Adriatic, and Thomas Quayle, reflecting her reliability in both freight and towing operations.
- John Mitchell Renamed: (a) Major (U.S.) — 1902 (b) Major (Canada) — 1914 U.S. Registry: 76792 Canadian Registry: 134263
- John V. Moran was built for Ward’s Crescent Transportation Company and operated as part of the Detroit & Lake Superior Line. Designed to haul both bulk and package freight, she was fitted with double hoists for more efficient loading by 1891.
- Frank W. Wheeler(1884) was a large schooner for her time, purpose-built for the iron ore trade, a booming industry on the Great Lakes during the late 19th century. With her substantial size and triple-mast configuration, she was designed to maximize cargo capacity and efficiency while under sail, often operating in tandem with steam-powered vessels as a tow.
- Frank W. Wheeler (1887) was a sizable wooden freighter built during a transitional period when steel-hulled vessels were becoming more common. At 265 feet in length and with a large cargo capacity, the vessel was part of a new generation of bulk freighters designed to maximize efficiency in transporting heavy goods, particularly coal and iron ore, to industrial centers like Chicago and Detroit.
- Marian Teller was a wooden-hulled propeller steam tug, commonly used for towing barges and assisting vessels in harbors and rivers. Built in 1879 by F. Wheeler in West Bay City, Michigan, she was an early example of Wheeler’s work, being hull number 5. Tugs like the Marian Teller were vital on the Great Lakes, handling both commercial and industrial marine operations, including towing, salvage, and ice-breaking.
- Tampa was a robust wooden-hulled bulk freighter reinforced with steel structural elements, including steel arches, diagonal straps, and a steel boiler house. Designed for Great Lakes commerce, it carried significant cargo loads, such as coal, grain, and other bulk goods, while navigating the often challenging waterways. The vessel’s propulsion system combined high-capacity steam power with durability, enabling efficient and steady voyages.
- Terisa (1882)was a compact schooner reflecting the efficient, utilitarian designs of small Great Lakes vessels in the late 19th century. While Wheeler’s shipyard later became known for building larger freighters, his early work included crafting such small schooners and steamers. Given her modest size, the Terisa may have been employed in fishing, light freight transport, or even as a harbor service vessel, ferrying supplies between larger ships and shore. Her gross tonnage of 10 tons indicates a limited cargo capacity, reinforcing her likely role in localized maritime activity.
- Uganda was a wooden propeller-driven bulk freighter, built during the transition from wooden to steel-hulled Great Lakes freighters. Designed to carry heavy bulk cargo such as grain, coal, and iron ore, the ship was part of the growing fleet of large freighters that serviced the Milwaukee-to-Buffalo grain trade.
- Luther Westover was one of the early builds of the F. Wheeler shipyard in West Bay City, Michigan—possibly their second hull. Sidewheel tugs like the Luther Westover were integral to the booming logging industry on the Great Lakes, particularly in Michigan, where vast forests supplied lumber to the rapidly growing cities of the Midwest.
- W.H. Sawyer was launched in 1890 and enrolled on February 18, 1890, in Bay City, Michigan. It was originally owned by A.C. Tuxbury of Tonawanda, New York, and later by W.H. Sawyer & Company, based in Worcester, Massachusetts.
- Yukon was a large wooden schooner-barge, built in 1893 by F. Wheeler & Co. in West Bay City, Michigan. Originally constructed as a three-masted schooner, she was later converted into a two-masted schooner-barge, meaning she was typically towed by a steam-powered vessel rather than operating under her own sail power.
- Zillah was a steam screw vessel, powered by a steam engine driving a single screw (propeller). Built in 1890 as the Edward Smith and renamed in 1900, it was a mid-sized freighter designed for the efficient transport of goods across the Great Lakes. Its construction featured a steel hull, typical of vessels from the late 19th century, built to withstand the challenges of Great Lakes navigation, including strong currents and unpredictable weather.