Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Free Trade (Ferry)
  • Official Number: 120588
  • Year Built & Launched: 1884
  • Builder & Launch Site: Duluth, Minnesota
  • Construction: Wooden Hull; 1 Deck; sidewheel propulsion
  • Engine & Boiler: Engine by Duluth Iron Works; boiler by John D. Walsh
  • Owner History:
    • 1884 – J.J. Hibbard (Duluth)
    • 1888 – C.W. Wheeler & E.R. Short
    • 1889 – J.J. & C.D. Hibbard (repaired)
    • 1890 – John Hanson (West Superior)
  • Dimensions: Length 65 ft 7 in (20.0 m); Beam 13 ft 4 in (4.07 m); Depth 4 ft 7 in (1.40 m)
  • Tonnage: Gross 37.21 t; Net 32.04 t
  • Final Voyage: 1 November 1890; burned to the waterline while laid up in Hughitt Avenue slip, Superior, Wisconsin (Lake Superior)

Vessel Type

A single‑decked wooden sidewheel Ferry serving the Duluth–Superior route across the connecting canal and harbor.

Description

A small Ferry designed for cross‑harbour service, the Free Trade featured traditional sidewheel propulsion typical of late‑19th‑century inland ferries. Its modest dimensions catered to passenger and light cargo transit between Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin.

History

The Free Trade was enrolled on 28 July 1884, beginning service later that year between Duluth and Superior, occasionally operating alongside vessels like Mary Martin and Hattie Lloyd. Ownership evolved through several hands—principally the Hibbard family, and briefly Wheeler & Short. In May 1890, it grounded on mudbanks near Rices Point, Duluth, but returned to service after repairs. On 1 November 1890, under John Hanson’s ownership, she was at her dock on Lake Superior when a fire consumed the Hull down to the waterline during the off-season lay-up. The damage was total and her service life ended abruptly. (collection.mndigital.org, en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org, pinterest.com, digitalcommons.hamline.edu)

Final Disposition

Burned and destroyed to the waterline on 1 November 1890. Remnants likely scrapped or salvaged; no active-reef status or dive site recorded.

Located By & Date Found

No known discovery post-destruction. The remains were never found or documented beyond fire damage in situ.

NOTMARs & Advisories

There is no registration of remaining structure on navigation charts, nor are there any official obstruction advisories.

Resources & Links

  • University of Minnesota Duluth historical collections documenting Free Trade docked at Canal Park (vessel lying at dock) (collection.mndigital.org)
  • Great Lakes shipping histories & Duluth-Superior port records, with context on canal Ferry operations 

Conclusion

The Free Trade serves as a representative example of late‑19th‑century wooden sidewheel ferries on the Twin Ports Ferry routes. Though her career ended prematurely by fire, she illustrates the region’s robust nautical interconnectivity between Duluth and Superior. Her absence today—other than in photographic archives—highlights a vessel type once common but now vanished from Lake Superior’s waters.

Suggested Keywords, Categories & Glossary

Keywords: sidewheel Ferry, Duluth Superior Ferry, Lake Superior harbor, 19th-century wooden Ferry, canal Ferry
Categories: Historical inland ferries, Duluth maritime transport, Great Lakes wooden vessels
Glossary Terms:

  • Sidewheel propulsion: Paddle wheels mounted on either side of a boat, driven by steam engine.
  • Gross/Net Tonnage: Volumetric measures of a ship’s capacity.
  • Enrollment: Official registration in the U.S. merchant vessel records.

I hope this in-depth historical profile deepens your understanding of the Free Trade Ferry. If you’d like maps, dive potential, archival imagery, or a comparison to contemporary vessels like Mary Martin, just let me know!