1896 L. C. Waldo 1967
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at West Bay City MI by F. W. Wheeler & Co., Hull 112
Launched March 7, 1896
398’3” LOA, 387’ LBP, 48’ beam, 28’ depth
1 deck, hold beams, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1500 IHP
Enrolled at Detroit MI April 10, 1896 (#99)
387.3 x 48.0 x 23.8, 4244.26 GT, 3290.02 NT US 141421 to:
L. C. Waldo (2/5), John W. Duddleson (1/5) & George W. Roby (2/5), Bay City MI (home port Detroit MI)
Entered service 1896
Reenrolled April 20, 1896 (#110) to Roby Transportation Co.,
Lengthened 1905 at Superior WI by Superior Ship Building Co.
Remeasured to 451.5 x 48.0 x 28.0, 4466 GT, 3519 NT
Wrecked Nov 8, 1913 on Manitou Island, Lake Superior and abandoned to underwriters as constructive total loss. Enrollment surrendered Dec 30, 1914.
Salvaged 1914 and rebuilt at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co.
Sold Oct 25, 1915 to Mathews Steamship Co., Toronto ON (home port to Toronto ON) and renamed Riverton 1916
Enrolled Canadian at 451.0 x 46.6 x 23.1, 4423 GT, 2684 NT Can 152137
Fleet went into receivership in 1931. G. T. Clarkson, Toronto ON appointed receiver
Fleet sold late 1933 to Colonial Steamships Ltd., Port Colborne ON, Scott Misener, Mgr.
Wrecked Nov 1943 on Lottie Wolf Shoal off Hope Island, Georgian Bay and abandoned to the Underwriters as a constructive total loss.
Refloated 1944, sold to Mohawk Navigation Co., Montreal QC (home port to Montreal QC) and renamed Mohawk Deer.
Transferred 1948 to Beaconsfield Steamships Ltd.
Sold for scrap 1967 to Steel Factors Ltd. Resold to Italian shipbreakers. Towed with str. Makaweli by Yugoslavian tug Junek for Italy. Broke loose from tug on night of Nov 6/7, 1967 and stranded off Portofina in the Gulf of Genoa and broke in two. Tow with Makaweli arrived at La Spezia Italy Nov 7. Mohawk Deer later recovered and arrived at La Spezia Dec 31, 1967.
See history in Scanner Nov 1970 (#11)
Also Jan and March 1999 (#246)
Also in Detroit Marine Historian July 1975 (#199)
X612
My father was one of the people who salvaged the Riverton in 1944 and floated it to Owen Sound to be refitted. He was on the ships crew when it was renamed the Mohawk Deer. I have a picture of him in front of the Riverton but not much else. I am looking for pictures on newspaper reports about the Riverton and the voyages of the Mohawk Deer,
Hello Timothy,
Hope you see this reply to your request about information about the Riverton that you posted in 2021. My grandfather was the ships captain for many years . His name was Captain George Bunting. I have several photos of it in dock and of my grandparents and my mom and aunt and uncle on board. I find it’s history interesting especially the fact that, in my mind, it didn’t want to be scrapped at the end of its life, so while being towed to Italy it broke free and sunk off the coast of Portofino where scuba divers can explore it.
Hopefully we can share more information!
Sue