1890                                  City of Chicago                                  1942

Steel sidewheel overnight passenger vessel

Built at West Bay City MI by F. W. Wheeler & Co., Hull 68

Launched March 18, 1890
First steel hull and only sidewheel vessel built by Wheeler

228’ LOA, 34’ beam, 24’ depth
3 decks, coal-fired boilers, vertical beam engine, 1200 IHP

Enrolled at Port Huron MI May 31, 1890 (Temp #156)
211.6 x 34.0 x 13.0, 1073.96 GT, 628.38 NT     US 126627     to:
Graham and Morton Transportation Co., Milwaukee WI

Permanent enrollment at Grand Haven MI June 3, 1890 (#84)

Entered service 1890

Lengthened 14’6” 1891 at West Bay City MI by F. W. Wheeler & Co. to 242’6” LOA
Remeasured at 226.0 x 34.0 x 13.0, 1164.07 GT, 737.45 NT

Lengthened 28’  1905 at Manitowoc WI by Manitowoc Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co.
Remeasured at 254.0 x 34.0 x 13.6, 1439 GT, 1012 NT

Caught fire Sept 1, 1914 in midlake Lake Michigan not far from Chicago IL.  No lives lost.  Safely returned to Chicago.  Cabins rebuilt winter 1914-15 at South Chicago IL and renamed City of St. Joseph 1915

Fleet merged at end of 1924 season into Goodrich Transit Co., Chicago IL

Laid up after 1929 season

Fleet went into receivership in Dec 1932.  Vessel sold May 10, 1933 at Marshal’s sale in Chicago IL to Michigan Trust Co., Grand Rapids MI and on Dec 16, 1935 at a subsequent Marshal’s sale in St. Joseph MI to John Roen, Sturgeon Bay WI.  Before departure from St. Joseph a fire severely damaged her superstructure.  Towed to Sturgeon Bay WI and converted 1937 to pulpwood barge.
Remeasured to 833 GT, 820 NT

Stranded Sept 22, 1942 near Eagle Harbor MI, Lake Superior.  1 lost (stewardess, wife of the master, who was struck by a pulpwood log).  Enroute from Grand Marais MI towed with the barge Transport by the tug John Roen with loads of pulpwood for the Port Huron Sulphite Co., Port Huron MI.  Towline to Transport broke in a sudden storm and the City of St. Joseph struck the rocks and sank.  Transport towline broke soon after and she was wrecked on the beach and lost.

See history in Detroit Marine Historian Dec 1953 (#50)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember p. 102

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