Pioneer (Official Number 80599 • built 1879 • scuttled)

Identification & Site Information

  • Official Number: 80599
  • Year Built: 1879
  • Place Built: Magnetawan, Ontario (by H. Walton)
  • Official Dimensions: ~34 ft × 8 ft × 3 ft
  • Gross Tonnage: 11
  • Propulsion: Single screw, powered by a W. Hamilton & Co. engine (4½″ × 5″), installed in Peterborough
  • Owner (circa 1879): E. A. Morris, Magnetawan, Ontario
  • Final Disposition: Scuttled (date and location not yet located)

Vessel Type

Small wooden screw Steamer—likely used for riverine/pioneer transport on the Magnetawan River.

Construction & Description

Constructed of wood, typical of regional 19th‑century river craft. At 11 gross tons, modestly sized—probably a single-Deck Hull with foredeck and aft cabin. Propulsion by a small (4½″ bore, 5″ stroke) steam engine suggests low-to-moderate speed, suited to transport of passengers or supplies along inland waterways.

Operational History

  • 1879: Built by H. Walton in Magnetawan; engine installed by W. Hamilton & Co., Peterborough.
  • Ownership: E. A. Morris, local entrepreneur—likely engaged in logging, settlers’ freight, or passenger ferrying.
  • Service Area: Magnetawan watershed region on Georgian Bay’s river systems.

Gaps: No newspaper notices or vessel registries (e.g., Ontario Sessional Papers) have been found specifically mentioning “Pioneer” ON 80599, unlike larger steamers listed in period documents (Waves-Vagues, abnwtlegion.com, Wikimedia Commons, Wikipedia).
Action: Suggest a review of microfilmed regional newspapers (c. 1879–1900) from Parry Sound or Magnetawan for launch announcements, service notices, or accident reports involving “Pioneer.”

Final Disposition

Listed as “scuttled,” but without specifics. This could indicate retirement and deliberate sinking in shallow water, possibly to serve as a dock or to clear the channel.

Action: Check local land surveys, dredging logs, Ferry records, and oral histories that may reference an intentionally sunk vessel in the Magnetawan River or associated lakes.

Wreck Status & Discovery

  • Located?: Not yet documented in Great Lakes wreck databases or NOAA/Thunder Bay listings.
  • Condition: Unknown; scuttled wrecks are often shallow, reduced to pilings or low-profile debris.

Action: Recommend a targeted sonar survey of downstream falls or bends where shallow scuttling was common; survey magnetometer logs and community dive logs for unrecorded wreck.

Notmar & Navigational Hazards

No official Notices to Mariners or hazard bulletins reference this vessel—likely because it never operated on major routes.

Resources & Next Steps

Archives to search:

  • Ontario Sessional Papers (printed lists mention larger steamers but not Pioneer) (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Local newspaper archives: Toronto Telegram fonds, Parry Sound, Magnetawan
  • 3DShipwrecks.org, BGSU Great Lakes vessels wreck database
  • U.S. Board of Steamboat Inspection reports for local incidents
  • Bowman’s microfiche listings of Parry Sound maritime records

Recommended actions:

  • Visit Archives of Ontario and local historical societies in Magnetawan for 1879 vessel launch logs and engineer’s registry records.
  • Search Ontario Hydrographic Service old maps for scuttled craft in the river.

Conclusion

The Pioneer ON 80599 was a modest yet historically significant riverine steam craft integral to development in late 19th‑century Magnetawan. Its final fate—being scuttled—was a common fate for small vessels once obsolete, yet its unlocated status today presents an excellent research or dive opportunity. Future archival work and remote-sensing surveys may yield its resting place.