Brunette (renamed Buffalo, Launched 1871)

Identification & Site Information

  • Name(s): Brunette (renamed Buffalo, 1902)
  • Year Built: 1871
  • Builder: Graig & Linn Shipyard, Gibraltar, Michigan
  • Vessel Type: Wooden Schooner-Barge
  • Official Number: Not conclusively documented
  • Dimensions:
    • Length: 67 m (220 feet)
    • Beam: 11 m (36 feet)
    • Depth of Hold: 4.3 m (14 feet)
    • Cargo Capacity: 1,400 tons
  • Original Owner: George W. Bissell, Detroit, Michigan
  • Final Resting Place: Abandoned, 1915 (no known wreck site)
  • Coordinates of historical record: 43.02045°N, -78.889307°W (historical port registry, not a wreck location)
  • Depth: N/A

Vessel Type Description

The Brunette was a large Schooner-Barge, purpose-built for the booming iron ore and heavy cargo trades on the Great Lakes in the late 19th century. Such vessels were typically towed by steamers and designed with robust frames to withstand heavy loads, seasonal ice, and rough seas.

History

Launched in May 1871, the Brunette was considered a state-of-the-art Schooner-Barge, operating under George W. Bissell and managed by the Western Transportation & Coal Co. of Detroit. Over her long career, the Brunette changed hands numerous times:

  • 1881: Sold to Thomas Axworthy, Cleveland, Ohio
  • 1883: Jointly owned by Axworthy & George W. Hale
  • 1884: Underwent a significant Rebuild
  • 1886: Acquired by J.H. Palmer & C.H. Wallace
  • 1893: Ownership consolidated under J.H. Palmer

In 1898, she temporarily left the Great Lakes to work along the east coast, but returned by 1900 to resume cargo operations.

On 29 November 1901, the Brunette, in tow of the Steamer W.L. Wetmore, encountered a fierce Lake Huron storm near Rabbit Island, off Tobermory, Ontario. She was consorted with another Schooner-Barge, King, carrying a cargo of lumber. The entire tow was overwhelmed by the storm:

  • Wetmore: driven ashore and lost
  • Brunette: stranded and damaged
  • King: also wrecked

Miraculously, all crew members survived after taking shelter on Rabbit Island for 36 hours until rescue arrived. Brunette was later refloated by tugs and towed to Collingwood, Ontario, where she was placed in drydock for extensive repairs.

In 1902, she was renamed Buffalo and returned to service, symbolizing resilience and adaptability.

Her later career included:

  • 1912: Converted to a Barge at Reid Shipyard, Port Huron, Michigan
  • 1913: Sold to Canadian owner James Reid, Sarnia
  • 1915: Retired and Abandoned

Final Dispositions

In 1915, the Buffalo (formerly Brunette) was formally Abandoned, most likely dismantled or left to decay at dockside. There is no known shipwreck site on the lakebed; no documented remains have been located.

Located By & Date Found

No wreck has been found, as the vessel was Abandoned rather than sunk.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No active Notmar or navigation warnings apply to this vessel.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Brunette, later known as the Buffalo, stands as a prime example of the Schooner-barges that powered Great Lakes industrial growth in the late 19th century. Surviving a near-fatal storm in 1901, being repaired and renamed, then continuing to serve for decades, the vessel highlights the resilience and adaptability of commercial maritime assets of her era.

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