Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Thank you for the additional information... more than I had hoped for! The Bowling Green link had some information... which you added to, Mr. Lafferty. BTW: I realize now that the "Michigan City" designation was visible on the stern of the ship (not the bow as I misstated earlier). Another photo of the Winnebago was on the BGSU site:



Regards,

Bill

This is the same Winnebago described by the Port Huron Daily Times. She was launched 21 March 1903 for the parties listed in the article, principles of the Iroquois Transportation Co. and managed by Prindiville out of Chicago, first registered 25 July 1903 at Michigan City. Columbia IWs laid her down on speculation. She did not last long. In January 1907 she was sold to the Coast Shipping Co., San Francisco, for the Pacific Northwest lumber trade, and left her lay-up at Duluth to make the voyage through the old Welland and St. Lawrence canals to the coast and around the horn to the other coast. Two other steam barges were sold with her, the Minnie E. Kelton and and Lucy Neff. The spring of the following year she was rebuilt as a typical Pacific Northwest lumber hooker, with all accommodations aft and oversized masts and derricks. On a voyage from Puget Sound to San Pedro the Winnebago foundered, 31 July 1909, off Point Arena. The Neff was lost 15 December 1915 off Fenwick Island, Delaware, and the Kelton was lost twice, first, stranding on Yaquina Head, Oregon, on 2 May 1908 with the loss of eleven, and, second, on 21 October 1914 stranding on Clatsop Split, Oregon. She had been converted to a barge after the first stranding, and had been repowered in 1912.

As to the location, my initial thought was the iron works at East Jordan, but I can't place that caisson-like structure off the vessel's starboard, so I'm unsure.

I am seeking information regarding the ship pictured in the photo postcard below.

The name Winnebago is noted on the postcard. Also, under magnification, the ships name on the bow is Winnebago and beneath that name is "Michigan City."



I believe (but do not know with certainty) that the ship would be the one described on the Maritime History of the Great Lakes website as follows:

The first steel boat built by the Columbia Iron Works of St. Clair, the steamer WINNEBAGO, was launched on Saturday afternoon in the presence of 1,500 people, fully 150 beings from Port Huron. The boat is 210 x 29 x 16. As it slid from the ways it was christened by Miss Prindeville, daughter of Captain Prindeville of Chicago. The boat is owned by Capt. Prindeville and Capt's West and Boland of Buffalo. The Columbia Iron Works is composed of J.E.Botsford, F.D. Jenks and Charles O. Duncan and at the present time employs about 500 people.
Port Huron Daily Times
Monday, March 23, 1903

Does anyone have additional information regarding the ship or the location where it is pictured?

Thanks in advance.

Bill Waite
Grand Rapids, MI