Identification Card

Name: St. Joseph
Other Names: None recorded
Official Number: 23354
Registry: U.S. (Buffalo, NY; later Oswego, NY)
Vessel Type: Wooden propeller
Builder: Hitchcock & Gibson, Buffalo, NY
Year Built: 1867
Dimensions (original): 150.8 ft (45.9 m) × 28 ft (8.5 m) × 9.3 ft (2.8 m)
Tonnage: 473.93 gross tons (later rebuilds: 520 GRT; 304 GRT)
Propulsion: Single screw, steam engine (later with new scotch boiler, 1909)
Cargo on Final Voyages: General freight and lumber
Date of Loss: ca. 1919–1925
Location: Ashtabula, Ohio harbor / Sarnia boneyard
Coordinates: Not documented
Depth: Harbor site; presumed dismantled
Home Port: St. Joseph, MI (initial); later Oswego, NY
Owners: Multiple – incl. Goodrich Transportation, T.W. Harvey Lumber Co., Standard Navigation, American Box Co.
Crew: Unknown
Casualties: None reported

Description

The St. Joseph was a two-Deck, wooden-hulled screw Steamer built in Buffalo, NY, in 1867. Originally designed for passenger and freight service out of St. Joseph, Michigan, she underwent numerous rebuilds and modifications, including Conversion to a Steam Barge in 1880 and several dimensional changes. With a service life spanning nearly 60 years, she was part of the evolving fleet of wooden propellers that bridged sail and steel on the Great Lakes.

History

The vessel enrolled at Buffalo on July 10, 1867, then Grand Haven on September 11, 1867. She entered service under Goodrich Transportation Co. by 1869, working Lake Michigan routes.

  • 1871: Collided near Fighting Island, Detroit River, and sank. Later raised and repaired.
  • 1875: Overhauled; further repairs in 1881 at Miller Brothers Yard (boiler and engine).
  • 1880: Converted to a Steam Barge; 263 GRT / 169 NRT.
  • 1887: Major Rebuild, enlarged to 146.9 × 28.9 × 12.9 ft; 520 GRT / 270 NRT.
  • 1888: Grounded near Port Huron, MI, and burned. Rebuilt again in 1889 (146 × 29.3 × 11.2 ft).
  • 1909: Fitted with new scotch boiler (Kingsford Machine Works), steam pressure 106 psi.
  • 1916: Sold to American Box Co., Cleveland; then to Canadian registry as C134517 (sold “to aliens”).

Her long service included work in lumber, coal, and freight. Like many older propellers, she shifted hands frequently, serving industrial operators across both U.S. and Canadian waters.

Final Disposition

The St. Joseph ended her career around 1919–1925. Reports suggest she sank in harbor at Ashtabula, OH, and was later Abandoned in Sarnia’s boneyard of obsolete vessels. Registry was closed in 1925. No wreck site is presently documented; likely dismantled or decayed in shallow water.

Located By & Date Found

No confirmed wreck site. Vessel presumed dismantled in Sarnia after registry closure in 1925.

NOTMARs & Advisories

No active Notices to Mariners; no known navigational hazards.

Dive Information

Not a dive site – vessel presumed dismantled/Abandoned in harbor.
Nearest wreck-diving resources: Lake Huron and St. Clair River sites.

Crew & Casualty Memorials

No fatalities recorded in available incident reports. Crew names appear in U.S. enrollment records (Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland).

Documented Statements & Extracts

“The old propeller St. Joseph, once a familiar sight in Lake Michigan trade, lies Abandoned after over fifty years of service. Once Rebuilt and refitted many times, she has finally outlived her usefulness.” — Buffalo Evening News, 1925.

Registry, Enrollment & Insurance Trails

U.S. Official No. 23354. First enrolled Buffalo, 1867. Subsequent enrollments: Grand Haven, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Oswego.
Re-registered in Canada (C134517) in 1916. Registry struck 1925. Insurance and abandonment filings likely in Cleveland and Sarnia marine records.

Site Documentation & Imaging

No wreck imagery exists. Vessel appears in late 19th-century photographs and marine engineering records.

Resources & Links

References

  1. BGSU Great Lakes Vessels Database – Entry 23354
  2. Enrollment records, Buffalo, Grand Haven, Detroit, Cleveland
  3. Buffalo Evening News, 1925 (abandonment notice)

Shipwreck Record Card

Wreck Name: St. Joseph
Other Names: None
Official Number: 23354
Coordinates: Ashtabula Harbor / Sarnia boneyard (undocumented)
Depth: Harbor – shallow
Location Description: Abandoned in harbor after storm damage, later dismantled
Vessel Type: Wooden screw propeller, Rebuilt multiple times
Material: Wood
Dimensions: 150.8 × 28 × 9.3 ft (orig.); later rebuilds 146–195 ft
Tonnage: 473–520 GRT
Condition: Abandoned/dismantled
Cause of Loss: Obsolescence / harbor sinking
Discovery Date: N/A
Discovered By: N/A
Method: Historical record
Legal Notes: Registry struck 1925
Hazards: None
Permits Required: None