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Remembering the past
Historical Perspective
Featured Lake Boat:
 

Spruceglen (1) 1982 - 1985
Robert S. Pierson (1) 1980 - 1982
George D. Goble 1970 - 1980
Reiss Brothers 1934 - 1970
William K. Field 1924 - 1934

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Built: Toledo Ship Building Co., Toledo, OH 1924, hull # 176, launched Jan. 24, 1924 as a) William K. Field, flagship for Reiss Steamship Co., Sheboygan, WI.  Dimensions: 603' 00" loa x 60' 00" beam x 32' 00" depth; 8,195 GRT  6,369 NRT  13,400 dwt. Power: yard built 2,200 i.h.p. coal-fired steam engine; repowered 1957 with 6,600 s.h.p. coal-fired DeLaval steam turbine engine; bow-thruster added 1964 - 65.  Last Canadian coal-fired lake boat.  Scrapped at Thunder Bay, ON 1985 - 86.

Spruceglen (1) 1982 - 1985 (P & H Shipping Ltd., Mississauga, ON, sold to Goderich Elevator & Transit Co. as a storage barge, early 1983)


Inbound Maumee Bay at Toledo, fall 1982. 
(Jim Hoffman)

Fall 1982 backing away from C&O # 4 coal dock after taking on bunkers. (Jim Hoffman)

(D.G. Metz)

Goderich, ON, Mar. 24, 1984. (Unknown) 

Goderich, ON as a storage hull, Mar.12, 1985 at sunset with her Soo River Company markings showing through. (John McCreery)

Goderich, ON, the morning of Mar. 13, 1985.
(John McCreery)

Stern view with the markings showing through again on Mar. 13, 1985. (John McCreery)
 

 

Robert S. Pierson (1) 1980 - 1982 (reflagged Canadian & sold to Soo River Co., Thorold, ON becoming fleet flagship)


Welland Canal, Apr. 6, 1980.
(the late T. "Scotty" McCannell from the
Gerry Ouderkirk collection)

Stern view in the Welland Canal, Apr. 6, 1980.
(the late T. "Scotty" McCannell from the
Gerry Ouderkirk collection)

In the early 1980's. (Jim Hoffman)

At Toledo in the early 1980's. (Jim Hoffman)

Preparing to load grain at Midstates Elevator, Toledo. (Jim Hoffman)

Loading grain at Midstates, Toledo. (Jim Hoffman)

Inbound Maumee Bay at Toledo in the early 1980's.
(Jim Hoffman)

At Anderson's layby slip waiting to load grain at one of the Toledo elevators. (Jim Hoffman)

At Toledo in the early 1980's.  (Jim Hoffman)

Upbound the Maumee River. (Jim Hoffman)

Welland Canal. (Terry McCullough collection)

Welland Canal. (Terry McCullough collection)

In the Trenton Channel. (Paul C. LaMarre Jr.)
     
Masters and Chief Engineers of the Robert S. Pierson
(Courtesy of Russ Plumb)
Masters

Larry R. Leveille 1980

Ron M. Dean 1980

Chief Engineers

Earl J. Teskey 1980

Don Boone 1980

George D. Goble 1970 - 1980 (sold to American Steamship Co., Buffalo, NY 1971, sold to Kinsman Marine Transit Co., Cleveland, OH 1972)


Arriving at the grain elevators along the Buffalo River, Buffalo, NY, July 1974. John Robinson

Spring fitout at Toledo's C&O Docks in the 1970's. 
(Jim Hoffman)

Upbound the Soo 1976-77.
(Rudi Rabe)

Loading coal at the C&O #3 coal machine at
Toledo in the late 1970's. (Jim Hoffman)

Downbound Mission Point at the Soo, late 1970's.
(Jim Hoffman)

Just arrived at Toledo's C&O #3 coal dock preparing to load coal, late 1970's. (Jim Hoffman)

At Lakefront Coal Dock, Toledo, late 1970's.
(Jim Hoffman)

At Toledo's Lakefront Ore Dock in the 1970's.
(Jim Hoffman)

At Mission Point, June 1978. (Roger LeLievre)

July 14, 1979.
(from the Marc Vander Meulen collection)
   
Masters and Chief Engineers of the George D. Goble
(Courtesy of Russ Plumb)
Masters Chief Engineers

Manley Miller 1970

Arne J. Leskinen 1971

Unknown 1972

Arne D. Tenhula 1973

John G. Munroe 1974

Gordon MacDonald 1975 - 1976

Onni E. Niemi 1970 - 1971

Unknown 1972

Bev B. Stoffers 1974 - 1976

Reiss Brothers 1934 - 1970 (Reiss Steamship Co., Sheboygan, WI, managed by Boland & Cornelius, Buffalo, NY 1969 - 1971)



Waterline & full hull scale drawings depicting
appearance from late 1930's / early 1940's.
(Drawings by John Belliveau)

July, 1968.
(from the Marc Vander Meulen collection)

In the Detroit River. (Father Peter Van der Linden photo, Paul C. LaMarre Jr. collection)

On Lake St. Clair. (Father Peter Van der Linden photo, Paul C. LaMarre Jr. collection)

Passing under the Bluewater Bridge.
(Kenneth Niemi collection)

Loading bunker coal.
(Kenneth Niemi collection)

The Reiss brothers, namesakes of the
Reiss Brothers. (Kenneth Niemi collection)

With a group of ladies.
(Kenneth Niemi collection)
Masters and Chief Engineers of the Reiss Brothers
(Courtesy of Russ Plumb)
Masters Chief Engineers
Alex. Craigie 1934

E.J. Lawrence 1935

Howard N. Leach 1936 - 1943

Mel A. Baizaire 1944 - 1955

Carroll Shaw 1956 - 1962

George A. Rapp 1963 - 1966

Matt A. Wiinamaki 1967 - 1968

Manley D. Miller 1969 - 1970

Alexander L. McLaren 1934 - 41

John J. Maloney 1942 - 1943

James Nelson 1944

William Bracher 1945

James Nelson 1945 - 1951

Sam Lorenz 1952 - 1954

Theodore Jessen 1955

Clarence A. Jackson 1956 - 1966

Richard E. Peterson 1967 - 1968

Onni E. Niemi 1969 - 1970

William K. Field 1924 - 1934 (Reiss Steamship Co., Sheboygan, WI)

On the Maumee River, Toledo, OH. (Paul C. LaMarre III collection)

At the Hulett loaders, Conneaut, OH.(Paul C. LaMarre III collection)

On the St. Marys River.
(Paul C. LaMarre Jr. collection)
 
Masters and Chief Engineers of the William K. Field
(Courtesy of Russ Plumb)
Masters

Alex. Craigie 1924 - 1931

Unknown 1932-1933

Chief Engineers

Alexander McLaren 1924 - 1931

Unknown 1932 - 1933

 


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Last updated: September 24, 2008.

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