Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Sappho
  • Type: Wooden Propeller Passenger Ferry
  • Built: 1883, Wyandotte, Michigan
  • Registry: United States / Canada
  • Dimensions: Approximately 33 m (107 ft) in length, 224 gross tons
  • Service Area: Detroit River, primarily between Detroit and Windsor
  • Final Location: Grassy Point layup dock, Detroit River
  • Date Lost: February 21, 1929
  • Cause: Fire during winter layup
  • Casualties: None

Vessel Type Description

The Sappho was a two-end, wooden-hulled propeller Ferry designed for cross-river commuter traffic. She featured a straight Hull, dual pilot houses, and was optimized for short, repetitive Ferry runs, including service to Belle Isle and the Windsor shoreline.

History

Commissioned in 1883 by the Walkerville and Detroit Ferry Company, the Sappho became a workhorse on the Detroit River, later operated by the Detroit & Windsor Ferry Company. Her robust wooden construction allowed for nearly five decades of consistent service, ferrying passengers across the international boundary between Michigan and Ontario. Owned in part by distilling magnate Hiram Walker, she played a key role in regional transportation during a time when ferries were a critical link between Canadian and U.S. communities.

Final Disposition

On February 21, 1929, while laid up for the winter at her dock (likely near Grassy Point), the Sappho caught fire and was completely destroyed down to the waterline. No crew were aboard at the time, and no lives were lost. The vessel was considered beyond repair and subsequently scrapped. Her destruction coincided with declining Ferry use due to new infrastructure like the Ambassador Bridge, which would open just two years later.

Located By & Date Found

No formal underwater discovery was necessary or conducted. The Sappho was destroyed at dock and likely dismantled in place following the fire.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted. As the vessel was tied up and burned at dockside, there was no navigational impact or hazards reported.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Sappho served as a dependable Ferry for 46 years, facilitating international transit across the Detroit River. Her destruction by fire in 1929 marked the end of the wooden Ferry era on the river, a casualty of both age and changing transportation infrastructure. Though no physical remains survive, she remains a symbolic vessel of late-19th and early-20th century Great Lakes passenger service.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Sappho; Detroit–Windsor Ferry; wooden ferryboat; dock fire; 1929 loss; Great Lakes Passenger Vessels; international Ferry routes; maritime heritage; Ambassador Bridge transition.