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GREAT LAKES (USA)
Lakes traffic was heavy across the whole Great Lakes but particularly so on Lake Erie with heavy traffic between the cities of Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo. Onward connections could be made to New York City by a relatively short canal transit to the Hudson River at Albany, where palatial paddle steamers were available, and via the Welland Canal into Lake Ontario. In addition to the main companies offering express and overnight services there were many other smaller companies and individual boat owners providing more localised links and tourist services to favoured places such as Tashmoo Park funfair at Algonac MI on the St Clair River or to the islands in Lake Erie close to the port of Sandusky.

Although less developed than Lake Erie, passenger services were plentiful on the more westward lakes, Huron and Michigan with healthy numbers sailing between Chicago and Milwaukee and on more local services in the Chicago area, such as to Waukegan. Chicago itself was a major transportation hub, known  as the "Gateway to the West", handling not only people but the vast cargoes of produce from the mid-West and home to large processing factories such as meat packing. The vast expanse of water and the particularly severe winters on Lake Michigan made for very dangerous sailing conditions at times. Sea ice was problematic for wooden hulled ships in winter. Expensive paddlers steamers Detroit and Milwaukee only served the city famous for its beer from Grand Haven MI between 1859 and 1869. Steel hulls to handle the ice came later, by which time Milwaukee was accessible by rail.

In later years, the numerous operators, private and corporate, rationalised and the number of vessels built fewer but larger in an attempt to cut costs. Regarding the newer passenger "megaships" themselves, two names became prominent. The Detroit Shipbuilding Company at Wyandotte, just to the south of the Detroit city limit as builders and Frank E Kirby (1849-1929) as designer
Passenger Paddle Steamers Registered as at 30th June 1900
At Buffalo NY

Pearl 1875 150032
At Cleveland OH

State of Ohio 1880 125808
State of New York 1883 216150
City of Buffalo 1896 127132
City of Erie 1898 127242

At Cincinnati OH

Whisper 1881 80832
Bonanza 1885 8312
City of Louisville 1894 127023
Island Queen 1896 100610
City of Cincinnati 1899 127325


At Detroit MI

Greyhound 1867 18107
Metropolis 1868 17608
City of the Straits 1878 125662
City of Cleveland 1886 126333
City of Detroit 1889 126546
Frank E Kirby 1890 120796
City of Toledo 1891 126738
City of Alpena 1893 126974
City of Mackinac 1893 126988
Tashmoo 1900 145843

At Erie OH

Pennsylvania 1899 50813
At Grand Haven MI

City of Milwaukee 1881 125966
Darius Cole 1885 157173
Klondike 1888 86266
City of Chicago 1890 126627
May Graham 1900 98033

At Marquette MI

Emerald 1862 8253
At Milwaukee WI

Sheboygan 1869 115119
Chicago 1874 125338

At Port Huron MI

Idlewild 1879 85595
At Sandusky OH

RB Hayes 1876 110297
A Wehrle Jr 1889 106652
Arrow 1895 107155

At Toledo OH

Pastime 1889 150470
At Cape Vincent NY

Islander                                                               1871      75508

Empire State 1863 22795
St Lawrence 1884 116002
New York 1887 116152

At Grand Haven MI

May Graham                                                        1879      91173
 
Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company (1868-1951)
The company offered direct sea transport connections, multi-day cruise holidays and day trips. It bought out the Detroit & Buffalo Steamship Co in 1909 and extended its dominance across the whole of Lake Erie. Changing circumstances during and particularly after the Second World War plunged the company into debt and it folded in 1951 still with five major paddle steamers on its hands.   Company Profile : Wikipedia

Above : Greater Buffalo of 1924, along with her sister ship Greater Detroit of 1923 represent the high point of  paddle steamers in terms of their growth in size and the final paddle steamers ordered by the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company. She was also the final paddle masterpiece of renowned designer Frank E Kirby. She is seen in 1942 in her last year of civilian service.

Paddle steamer sold out of the fleet before the beginning of the 20th century :

City of Cleveland (1880-1892, renamed City of Alpena in 1885)
272 x 40 ft  1923 GRT  Beam engine
Sold 1892 to Cleveland & Buffalo Transportation Co and renamed State of Ohio in 1892. Sold to Edward C Lampe in 1924. Stranded at Lorain on Lake Erie on 17 Dec 1929

Paddle steamers operational in the 20th century :

City of Detroit (1878-1914, renamed City of the Straits in 1893)
This ship was the first to be designed for the company by Frank E Kirby
Sold to Charles S Neff in 1914 converted to a barge and renamed Liberty in 1918. Abandoned in 1940 at Belle Isle.



City of Mackinac (1883-1892 and back in the fleet 1911-1918)
126150   KCBQ
Built at Wyandotte MI
Iron  208 x 32.4 ft   807 GT  Beam engine
Sold 1892 to Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co and renamed State of New York.
Sold 1918 to Goodrich Transport Co and renamed Florida.
Converted to a barge as Columbia in 1935 and survived until it sank in the North Branch Canal, Chicago. Wreck removed in 2008



City of Cleveland (1886-1925, renamed City of St. Ignace in 1907)
126333
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel 272 x 4.60 ft   1923 GT   Beam engine
Sold to Western Reserve Navigation Co, Cleveland Canada Nav. Co in 1927, renamed Keystone
Sold to Nicholson Erie-Dover Ferry in 1929. Burned in June 23, 1932 at Ecorse MI.
Raised and scrapped in 1948



City of Detroit (1889-1924, renamed City of Detroit II in 1911)
126546
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  286.6 x 40.8 ft   1919 GRT   Beam engine
Sold to Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co and renamed Goodtime in 1924. Scrapped in 1941



City of Alpena (1893-1921)
126974
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  266.2 x 69.8 ft   1735 Gt  1282 NT
Sold to Graham & Morton and renamed City of Saugatuck. Part of Goodrich Transit Co from 1924 and Michigan Trust Co in 1933. Converted to a barge in 1936. Scrapped in 1957



City of Mackinac (1893-1921, renamed City of Mackinac II in 1912)
126988
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  266 x 69.2 ft  1749 GT
Sold to Graham & Morton in 1921 and renamed City of Holland.
With Goodrich 1924-1933 and Michigan Trust Co 1933 for whom she lay idle.
Scrapped at Sturgeon Bay in 1940



City of Cleveland III (1907-54)
204080
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel 390 x 54.2 ft   4568 GT   Engines Compound Three cylinder Diagonal  52, 84 and 84 in x 96 in
Photo: Detroit Publishing Co - held in the Library of Congress

 

Eastern States (1909-1956)
136981
Built in 1902 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  350 x 44 ft   3077 GT    Engines Compound Diagonal
Bought from Detroit and Buffalo Steamboat Co. Laid up 1950. Burned as spectacle on lake St Clair on 12 Dec 1956 and scrapped at Hamilton in 1957



Western States (1909-1955)
081811
Built 1902 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  350 x 44 ft   3077 GT  Engines Compound Diagonal
 Bought from Detroit & Buffalo Steamboat Co. Converted to floating hotel. Scrapped 1959



City of Detroit III (1912-57)
209571
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel 455.8 x 55.5 ft   6061 GT    Engines Compound diagonal



Greater Detroit  (1923-1956)
223664
Built at Lorain OH
Steel  518.7 x 58 ft.  7739 GT   Engines : Compound three cylinder  66, 96 and 96 in x 108 in.  
Laid up 1950 at Detroit, burned out on Lake St Clair by new scrappers as a spectacle on night of 12 December 1956
The ship's anchor was raised in 2016 and is on public display in Port Detroit outside the Wayne County Port Authority office
http://www.glmi.org/GREATER%20DETROIT%20HISTORY%20%20b.pdf
http://historicdetroit.org/building/greater-detroit/




Greater Buffalo (1924-1942)
223663
Built at Lorain OH
Steel  518.7 x 58 ft.  7739 GT  Engines : Compound three cylinder  66, 96 and 96 in x 108 in.  
Converted to an aircraft carrier USS Sable for pilot training in World War II after requisition in August 1942. Scrapped in 1948 at Hamilton Ontario
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sable_(IX-81)
http://historicdetroit.org/building/greater-buffalo/
.
Cleveland and Buffalo Transit Company  (1892 - 1939)
Above : Seeandbee predated Greater Detroit by ten years and was the last new paddle steamer for the Cleveland and Buffalo Company. Like Greater Buffalo from their competitor's fleet, Seeandbee was taken over by the Navy for conversion to an aircraft carrier. Photo in the public domain, courtesy of the wikipedia project
State of Ohio (1892-1924)
Built 1880 and bought from Detroit & Cleveland, ex-City of Cleveland, City of Alpena, sold in 1924 and lost off Lorain in 1929

State of New York (1892-1911)
126150   KCBQ
Built at Wyandotte MI
Iron  208 x 32.4 ft   807 GT  Beam engine
Built for the Detroit & Cleveland and named City of Mackinac
Bought in 1892 and renamed State of New York.
Sold back to the Detroit & Cleveland in 1911
Sold 1918 to Goodrich Transport Co and renamed Florida.
Converted to a barge as Columbia in 1935 and survived until it sank in the North Branch Canal, Chicago. Wreck removed in 2008

City of Buffalo (1896-1938)
127132
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  340.3 x 43.7 ft  2940 GT  
Lost to fire

City of Erie (1898-1939)
127242
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  316 x 44 ft   2498 GT     Beam engine


Seeandbee (1913-1939)
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  484.5 x 58.1 ft  6381 GT    Engines : Compound three cylinder  66, 96 and 96 in x 108 in.  Speed - up to 19.1 knots
Converted to aircraft carrier for pilot training in World War II as USS Wolverine

Goodtime (1924-1939)
126546
Built in 1889 in Wyandotte MI
Steel  286.6 x 40.8 ft  1919 GT  
Built as City of Detroit later City of Detroit II for the Detroit & Cleveland Company

 

Star-Cole, Red & White Star Lines
White Star Shipping Company  
The White Star Shipping Company was established in 1896 and served Toledo, Detroit and Port Huron via Lake St Clair with intermediate stops along the Detroit and St Clair Rivers including at the popular Tashmoo amusement park at Algonac. These services were pure day services and the ships without overnight accommodation.

Star-Cole Line
Darius Cole had been sold for use on Lake Michigan in 1899 but was not a success there and returned to Lake Erie service in 1902. She was back with Cole from, 1906 to 1914, named Huron

Greyhound (1886-1902)
018107
Built in Manitowoc WI
Originally named Northwest
Substantially rebuilt as a day boat in 1886 and renamed Greyhound, sailing for Cole-Star between Detroit and Port Huron
Received a major rebuild in 1899.



Darius Cole (1885-1889,  as Huron from 1906-1917)
157173
Built at Cleveland OH
Iron  201.4 x 32.5 ft  538  GT
Built for The Star-Cole Line and sailed on the Detroit River and Lake Erie
Sold in 1899 to HW Williams for service across Lake Michigan and registered at Grand Haven MI
Sold in 1902 to Adalbert R Lee of Detroit
Reamed Huron in 1906
Sold in 1906 back to Darius Cole
Sold in 1917 to Interlake Auto Transportation of Toledo OH
Sold in 1921 to the Western Reserve Navigation Co of Cleveland OH
Burned on 1st September 1925 with the loss of three passenger lives and subsequently scrapped



Above : White Star's popular paddle steamer Tashmoo
City of Toledo (1896-1925)
126738
Built in 1891 at Toledo OH by Craig Shipbuilding
Steel  212 (later 252) x 31.7 ft   698 GT
The engines were the first diagonal set installed on a Great Lakes excursion steamer. 22, 42 and 66 in x 72 in.
Built for the Toledo & Islands Steamship Company's Put-in-Bay service
White Star bought the ship on the demise of her owners. Lengthened from 212 to 252 feet and second funnel added for the 1917 season
Sold in 1925. Out of use. Rebuilt and used as carferry (1932-1941). Scrapped in 1948


Above : City of Toledo before lengthening and addition of second funnel
Below : City of Toledo as she appeared from 1917


Tashmoo (1900-36)
145843
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel 302.9 x 37.6 ft  1344 GT
Sank in the dock at Amherstburg on June 18th 1936 having earlier been holed after hitting a submerged rock off Sugar Island


Greyhound (1902-25)
086621
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel  276 x 38 ft  1392 GT
New-build but re-using the engine of Detroit & Cleveland's paddle steamer Greyhound, originally Northwest, built in 1867 for Lake Michigan service
Sold to Red Star Line. Owned by Security Home Trust 1933-36



Owana (1903-1925)
150813
Built in 1899 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  200.6 x 39 ft  747 GT
Built as Pennsylvania for the Erie & Buffalo line.
Sold in 1925 to the Dover & Erie Ferry Line. Renamed Erie in 1927.
Destroyed by fire on 21 Feb 1929.
Coverted to a coal barge in 1934 and not finally scrapped until 1981




Sandusky and Islands Steamboat Company
The Sandusky company offered more localised services on Lake Erie to the popular offshore islands easily reachable from the port of Sandusky. Their excursion paddle steamers were much more modest in size. Cedar Point at Sandusky was developed as a leisure park in the late nineteenth century and installed its first roller coaster in 1902. At that time the point ws only accessible by boat. The amusement park remains one of the USA's most popular.

RB Hayes (1876)
110672
Built at Sandusky OH
Wood  134 x 21 ft  164 GT


Above : CW Platt image of 1905

A Wehrle jr (1889)
Built at Sandusky OH
Wood  148.2 x 26.5 ft  421 GT



Arrow (1895-1922)
107155
Built at Wyandotte MI
Steel   165.3 x 28 ft  365 GT
Engine ex- paddle steamer Jay Cooke/ City of Sandusky (1868-1895)
Arrow was built  for the Sandusky & Islands trade on Lake Erie where she served until 1922.
Sailed between Chicago and the nearby Waukegan until burnt out on the Chicago River in 1932.
She survived a further sixteen years as a barge, as far away as Georgia and Florida and later to Honduras where she was wrecked on a barrier reef.




Chippewa (1922-1938)
206249
Built in 1884 at Buffalo NY 
Iron  198 x 28 ft  452 GT
Former US Treasury Department Revenue Cutter William P Fessenden
Served on the Sandusky & Islands route as Chippewa from 1922 to 1938 after which it was sold for use as a barge until scrapped in 1943.





Bay Transportation Co         (Sandusky)
New York  (1906-1910)
116152     KDRN
Built in 1887 at Bath ME
Wood  161.5 x 20.5 ft  294 GT
ex- Shrewsbury
Thosuand Island Transportation C on the St Lawrence River
Sold to Bay Transportation Co of Sandusky OH in 1906


G A Boeckling (1909-1952)
206423
Built in 1909 at Ecorse MI
Steel  155.2 x 30 ft  328  GT
Sandusky to Cedar Point ferry until June 1952
Used as a storage ship by Peterson Shipyards of Sturgeon Bay WI
Purchased by preservationists and brought back to Sandusky in 1982
Destroyed by fire whilst under restoration


 
Ashley & Dustin
Ashley & Dustin served Sandusky from Detroit, with the vessels calling at the Lake Erie islands, including at Put-in-Bay. Their very large screw steamer built in 1911 was named after this calling point on South Bass Island. On this run until 1948, she was then put on the Port Huron run before being set ablaze on Lake St Clair in 1953 prior to scrapping.

Frank E Kirby (1890-1919)
Built in 1890 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  195.5 x 30.1 ft  532 GT
Sailed on Sandusky route until 1919
Later renamed Silver Spray when sailing for the Detroit-Kingsville Line
Renamed Dover when sailing for William Nicholson on the Erie to Dover ferry service
Destoyed by fire at Ecorse MI in 1932


Crystal Beach Steamboat and Ferry Company
Established in 1892.the line ferried excursionists to the Canadian lakeside resort of Crystal Beach. John Rebstock, from Buffalo, had bought the land in 1888 with te intention of developing a religious camp with a number of attractions. Very quickly it became a fully-fledged amusement park and Rebstock established the shipping line to handle the growing number of visitors and commuter traffic as workers in Buffalo began to live nearby. The service was inaugurated with the paddler Dove.  Pearl was added in 1893. Several steamers were added to the fleet including paddlers Darius Cole, Idlewild and State of New York. Rebstock sold the company in 1908, with the new owners improving the park and adding new and larger ships. These were the screw steamers Americana and Canadiana, both built in 1910. The shipping operation was renamed the Lake Erie Excursion Company. The park closed in 1989 but the stesamboat link had ended in 1956 when Canadiana made her last call.

Pearl (1893-1905, later Crystal)
150032
Built in 1875 at Detroit MI
Wood  177 x 28.8 ft   551 GT
Badly damaged on 7th July 1900 when driven on to a reef in a storm shortly after leaving Crystal Beach
Repaired and renamed Crystal in 1901
Abandoned in shallow water and survived for many years rotting away

 



Other Paddle Steamers in 1900

Metropolis (1868-1902)
017608
Built in 1868 at Trenton MI
Wood  168.3 x 26.4 ft  425 GT
Metropolis frequently changed ownership and was usually owned by private individuals, often for no more than one season
In 1895 it was taken over by the People's Steamboat Company of Monroe MI for excursion work
In 1899 it was sold to Charles West of Monroe
Lost to fire on 13th June 1902 at Toledo OH

Idlewild (1879-1914)
085595
Built in 1879 at Wyandotte MI
Iron  186 x 26 ft   363 GT
Originally named Grace McMillan but renamed Idlewild in 1881, she sailed for various owners
In 1900 she was registered at Port Huron MI
Sailed until converted to a barge in 1914

Pastime (1889-1903)
150470
Built in 1889 at Toledo OH
Wood  161.4 x 28.4 ft  453 GT
Built for the Perrysburg to Toledo service on the Maumee River and later served between Toledo and the Presque Isle Amusement Park on Lake Erie
Substantially rebuilt in 1897
Scrapped after the 1903 season




Pennsylvania (1889-1902)
150813
Built in 1899 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  200.6 x 32 ft   747 GT
Built for Mr Eugene McFall, General Manager of the Toledo & Islands Steamboat Company to operate a new daytime service between Erie and Buffalo
In 1903 became Owana for the White Star Line
Destroyed by fire on 20th February 1929
The hull was converted for use as a barge and survived until 1981





Lake Michigan

Goodrich Transportation Company (1868-1933)

Prominent amongst lake Michigan shipping companies with paddle steamers was Goodrich Transportation.  Goodrich, which had taken over the Chicago, Racine & Milwaukee Line in 1922, also operated major screw steamships, notably the unique  "whaleback" steamer Christopher Columbus, built in 1892. The mergers were a last-gasp effort to retain profitability but the company sank into incresing debt and, as the Great Depression struck, folded in 1933.
Albert E Goodrich branched out on his own account to develop services on Lake Michigan when his employers, the Ward Line, ceased operations in the face of railway expansion, by leasing their Huron in 1855. He rapidly expanded his fleet primarily with screw steamers but with one paddler new-build, Orion, and older tonnage, including Ward's Comet, Planet and Seabird. The much larger Northwest was built new in 1867 but sold almost immediately to Lake Erie operators.  In 1868, Seabird was engulfed in a fire and at least 100 people lost their life through fire or drowning. This tragedy occurred only five years after Goodrich lost their steamer Sunbeam in a storm in Lake Superior with only one survivor.  A new limited company was formed in 1868 after the personal losses sustained following the Seabird tragedy and rapid fleet expansion ensued including new-build padler Corona. More tragedy was to strike when  Alpena foundered on 16th October 1880 with all 73 hands lost. Albert E died in 1886 and in late 1889 his son Albert W took over the business and it was reconstituted as the Goodrich Transit Company in 1906.  
A high profile merger took place in 1924 between Goodrich and the Graham & Morton company. No paddle steamers survived into this era, but G&M brought four to the merged company

Sheboygan (1869-1914)
115119
Built at Manitowoc by Greenleaf S Rand
Wood  208.1 x 50.6 ft   674 GT
Scrapped in 1914. The machinery was removed and the wooden hull towed out into the lake and set on fire near Manitowoc



Chicago (1874-1915)
125338
Built at Manitowoc WI
Wood   205.1 x 30 ft  746 GT
 

City of Milwaukee (1881-1883 and for Graham & Morton 1897-1916, as Holland from 1904 )
125906
Built at Wyandotte MI
Iron  230.7 x 33.8 ft  1148  GT   Design by Frank E Kirby  Beam engine 53 x 144 in  by Fletcher of Hoboken
Sold to Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee Railway (1883-97)
Graham & Morton (1897-1916 and renamed Holland in 1904)
Crosby Transportation Co (1917-19 and renamed Muskegon in 1919)
Lost at Muskegon on 28th October 1919 after hitting the pier in a storm with 29 feared dead.



Florida (1918-1922)
126150   KCBQ
Built at Wyandotte MI
Iron  208 x 32.4 ft   807 GT  Beam engine
Originally City of Mackinac for the Detroit & Cleveland
Sold 1892 to Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co and renamed State of New York.
Sold 1918 to Goodrich Transport Co and renamed Florida.
Converted to a barge as Columbia in 1935 and survived until it sank in the North Branch Canal, Chicago. Wreck removed in 2008

Graham & Morton     (1875-1924, then part of Goodrich Transportation Co)
G&M operated mainly paddle steamers on their cross-lake excursions from Chicago to St Joseph and important fruit transportation business.


City of St Joseph (1890-1933)  ex- City of Chicago
Built 1890 at West Bay City MI
Steel 226 x 33.4 ft : Lengthened 1891 and 1905 : to 254 x 34 ft :  1439 GT    Compound beam engine 36 and 54 in x 80 in
Built for Graham & Morton as City of Chicago
Renamed City of St Joseph in 1915.
Driven ashore 22 Sep 1942 at Eagle Harbor, MI on Lake Superior. Scrapped in situ




City of Saugatuck (1921-1933) ex- City of Alpena
126974
Built 1893 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  266.2 x 69.8 ft   1735 GT
ex- City of Alpena, City of Alpena II of the Detroit & Cleveland taken over by Graham & Morton in 1921.  
Rebuilt as barge after being sold



City of Holland (1921-1933)  ex City of Mackinac
126988
Built 1893 at Wyandotte MI
Steel  266 x 69.2 ft   1749 GT  
City of Mackinac (City of Mackinac II from 1912) of the Detroit & Cleveland
Bought in 1921 and renamed City of Holland.
With Goodrich 1924-1933 and Michigan Trust Co 1933 for whom she lay idle.
Scrapped at Sturgeon Bay in 1940




City of Benton Harbour (1904-1933)
Built 1904 at Toledo OH 
Steel  251.8 x 36.5 ft   1286 GT      Engine : Diagonal
Sold in 1933 for use as a showboat but the venture failed.
Fire damaged in 1938 and scrapped in 1942



Williams Transportation Company
Henry W Williams sold out of the sawmill business and worked for Graham & Morton before setting up his own line, the Williams Transportation Company  in 1885 to run between New Haven MI and Chicago IL. He quickly developed the route, developing a fleet of modest sized screw steamers. His purchase of Darius Cole, an excursion ship from the more sheltered waters of Lake Erie in 1899 was not a success and legal action was taken aginst the sellers on the basis that the ship was unacceptable on its intended route. The ship quickly returned to Lake Michigan service.



RIVER STEAMER : MICHIGAN COAST OF LAKE MICHIGAN

May Graham (1879-1920)
91173
Built in 1879 at St Joseph, Michigan
95 ft : 91 GT
Sailed on the St Joseph river between St Joseph and Berrien Springs
Later registered at Milwaukee
Out of service after 1920




St Lawrence River :  Cape Vincent, Clayton, Thousand Island resort and Alexandria Bay

Thousand Island and St Lawrence River Steamboat Companies
The St Lawrence in the area around St Vincent, Clayton and Alexandria Bay (New York State, USA) and Kingston (Canada) is sprikled with numerous island, hence the name. Many of the islands had been developed as a popular holiday getaway and were connected by steamers to the railhead of the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad on the US side at Clayton. The area was also served by steamers from Canada.
The two companies operated jointy and were often referred to as the "White Squadron" on account of their cleanliness, thre company marketingtheir use of anthracite coal as being relatively smoke free.
In 1900 they were running these paddle steamers

Empire State (1879-1903) ex- Sylvan Stream
022795
Built in 1863 at New York NY by Thomas Collyer
Wood 157.2 x 26.6 ft  379 GT   Beam engine 40 x 96 in
Bought in 1879 from Harlem & New York Navigation Co ex- Sylvan Stream
Renamed Empire State in 1885
Burned out by fire in the dock at Kingston Ontario on 5th June 1903

St Lawrence (1884-1919)
116002
Built in 1884 at Clayton NY
Wood  154.5 x 21.4 ft   312 GT  



Pierrepont (1886-1912)   Canadian Registry
Built in 1871 by London & Glasgow Engineering and Iron Shipbuilding Co of Govan, UK
Iron frame and wooden hull assembled by Power & Son at Kingston ON (Canada)
123 x 19 ft : 252 GT
Engine : 27 x 60 in by Davidson & Doran. Re-used 
Built for Mr GM Kinghorn of Kingston and initially used to transport livestock and goods
Owned from 1877 by Mr W Nickle
From 1886 by the St Lawrence Steamboat Co, then the Thousand Islands Steamboat Co from 1898
From 1912 owned by the Ally family sailing out of Bas-St-Francois and sailed until around 1935

Islander (1887-1909)
75508
Built in 1871 by DW Springfield of Rochester, NY
Iron frame and wooden hull assembled by Power & Son at Kingston ON (Canada)
125 ft
Built as James H Kelley than renamed John Thorn in 1879
Purchased by the Thousand Islands Steamboat Co in 1887 and renamed Islander
Destroyed by fire at Alexandria Bay in 1909

New York  (1897-1905)
116152     KDRN
Built in 1887 at Bath ME
Wood  161.5 x 20.5 ft  294 GT
ex- Shrewsbury of the Middletown and Shrewsbury Steamboat & Transportation Co on the North New Jersey shore.
Sold to Bay Transportation Co of Sandusky OH
Sailed at Sandusky OH on Lake Erie from 1906-1910.


Also sailing in 1900 out of Clayton :

New Island Wanderer - screw
America - screw
Jessie Bain - screw (Canadian Register)


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