(wooden Steamer, 188?–1906)
Vessel Specifications
- Type: Wooden-hulled Steamer
- Length: ~200 ft
- Owned by: MacKay Company, Sault Ste. Marie, ONT
- Registry: Canadian side of Lake Superior (inferred from owner location) (J. Rowe Heritage Consulting, Thieves River)
Final Voyage & Wreck – December 4, 1906
- Route & Cargo: On charter for package/passage freight; carried oats and barley
- Incident Location: Ran aground broadside on a rocky shoreline near Old Woman Bay, Brûlé Bay, near Michipicoten Island, Lake Superior (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, J. Rowe Heritage Consulting)
- Storm Conditions: Caught in blizzard-strength gale with heavy seas
- Fate: Remained hard aground and broke up against the rocks; by December 7 the Hull was shattered and lost (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files, Wikipedia)
Casualties & Crew Injuries
- No crew fatalities reported during the wreck
- Sadly, five crewmen suffered severe frostbite, with some losing hands or feet due to exposure (Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
Aftermath & Wreck Status
- The Golspie was deemed a Total Loss, breaking apart over several days
- No salvage was possible; the wreck site lies in the shallows of Brûlé Bay, visibly wrecked on the rocky beach
Sources & Citation Summary
- Great Lakes Shipwreck Files extract: details loss by navigational error, location at Brûlé Bay, and crew frostbite cases (J. Rowe Heritage Consulting, Great Lakes Shipwreck Files)
- Great Lakes Vessel History – Osceola page notes: stranded Dec 4, no fatalities, but crew severely injured from exposure (greatlakesvesselhistory.com)
- J. Rowe Heritage Consulting / Sault Star coverage confirms grounding at Old Woman Bay and 200-ft length (J. Rowe Heritage Consulting)
Summary Table
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Ship Name | Golspie |
| Type | Wooden Steamer (~200 ft) |
| Owner | MacKay Co., Sault Ste. Marie, ON |
| Final Voyage | December 4, 1906 – charter freight |
| Location of Loss | Brûlé Bay / Old Woman Bay, Michipicoten Island |
| Cause | Grounded broadside in gale (navigational error) |
| Crew Casualties | 0 fatalities; 5 crew frostbite injuries |
| Outcome | Broke up over 3 days; Total Loss |
Suggested Research Next Steps
- Charter logs & manifests from MacKay Company’s freight operations for cargo details
- Local newspaper archives (Sault Star, Wawa Sentinel, 1906 Dec) covering the grounding and rescue activities
- Crew medical records or reports for frostbite cases—hospital or company logs may exist
- Maritime agency records for navigational assessments or charts noting Brûlé Bay hazards