Identification & Site Information

  • Vessel Names: Dispatch
  • Year Built: 1856
  • Builder: Beaudry & Co., St. Antoine, Quebec
  • Construction: Wood-hulled screw Tug
  • Length: 108.3 ft (33 m)
  • Beam: 20.5 ft (6.25 m)
  • Depth: 8.5 ft (2.6 m)
  • Tonnage: Originally 55.5 tons (old system); remeasured at 140.63 gross tons (U.S. register, 1868)

Vessel Type

Description

Dispatch was a moderately sized wooden screw Tug built at St. Antoine, Quebec in 1856. Designed for towing duties across the upper Great Lakes, she featured sturdy oak construction and underwent at least two major rebuilds during her operational life. By 1868, she measured 101 feet in length post-repair and had a Gross Tonnage of 140.63. As one of the earlier screw tugs of the region, Dispatch reflected evolving propulsion technologies and Hull reinforcements typical of cross-border commerce.

History

Ownership Timeline:

  • 1856: Charles King (St. Antoine, QUE)
  • 1857: Henry King and subsequently William King (St. Antoine, QUE)
  • 1857–58: James Dawson (Sombra, ONT)
  • 1860–1871: S. B. Grummond (Detroit, MI) – Detroit towing magnate
  • 1877–1878: J. A. Sloan (Quebec) – possibly a misattribution or a different vessel reuse

Key Incidents:

  • 1858, Nov – Collided with and sank Schooner Allenwick at St. Clair Flats.
  • 1864 – Rebuilt under Grummond ownership.
  • 1866, Apr 25 – Special Act of Congress passed to allow U.S. enrollment.
  • 1867, Aug 16 – Burned at Sandusky, OH; Rebuilt at Clark’s Shipyard in Detroit.
  • 1868, Apr 18 – Officially remeasured and enrolled in the U.S. registry.
  • 1870, Apr – Sunk by ice in the St. Clair Rapids; reported loss of $500.

Final Disposition

  • Date of Loss: October 10, 1871
  • Location: Pointe aux Barques Reef, Lake Huron
  • Circumstances: While towing five barges, Dispatch ran aground in extremely low Visibility due to heavy smoke from the catastrophic 1871 Great Michigan Firestorm, which engulfed large portions of Huron and Sanilac Counties.
  • Final Cargo: Towing services only; not carrying freight herself
  • Outcome: The vessel broke up on the reef and was declared a Total Loss; all five barges were recovered.

Located By & Date Found

  • No definitive discovery record found. The wreck may be fully disarticulated, broken, or buried on or around Pointe aux Barques Reef. No sonar or archaeological records currently link to an identified site matching Dispatch’s specifications.

NOTMARs & Advisories

  • None currently posted, though Pointe aux Barques Reef remains a charted navigational hazard.

Resources & Hyperlinked References

Conclusion

The Tug Dispatch is representative of early transnational Towboat service on the upper Great Lakes, operating across Ontario, Ohio, and Michigan under various ownerships. Her loss at Pointe aux Barques during the deadly October 1871 firestorm underscores the maritime dangers posed by smoke-reduced Visibility even to experienced crews.

The vessel’s robust reconstruction history and recurrence in U.S./Canadian records show the adaptive reuse common among utility steamers of her era. Despite lacking a confirmed wreck site, her story is well-preserved through archival sources and may guide future search efforts around Pointe aux Barques.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary

  • Region: Lake Huron, Pointe aux Barques, Detroit River
  • Vessel Type: Screw Tug, Towboat
  • Cause of Loss: Grounding in firestorm smoke
  • Construction: Wood, Rebuilt multiple times
  • Registry: Dual (U.S. and Canada)
  • Hazards: Fire, Ice, Navigational error
  • Dive Suitability: Not applicable (no confirmed wreck)