1875                                  Portage                                  1918

Wooden Great Lakes package freighter

Built at Buffalo NY by Union Dry Dock Co., Hull 6
Launched Aug 31, 1875

258’ LOA, 238’ LBP, 34’10” beam, 24’ depth
3 decks, coal-fired boiler, steeple compound engine, 500 IHP

Enrolled at Buffalo NY Sept 10, 1875 (#17)
238.0 x 34.8 x 14.6, 1608.22 tons (1451.46 NT 1882)     US 150042     to:
Union Steamboat Co., Buffalo NY (home port Buffalo NY)

Fleet renamed Union Transit Co. 1895

Sold 1904 to Inter Lakes Transportation Co., Cleveland OH (home port to Cleveland OH)

Sold 1905 to Craig Ship Building Co., Toledo OH (home port to Toledo OH)
(Repossessed for debt)
Rebuilt to bulk freighter for the lumber trade, 1 deck
Remeasured to 1106 GT, 1026 NT

Sold 1905 to Robert T. Gray, Detroit MI

Sold 1906 to Portage Transit Co., Toledo OH (home port to Rossford OH)
(Part owners of Portage Transit were John Craig and Lafayette S. Sullivan)

Rebuilt 1906 at Bay City MI
Remeasured to 12.9 depth and 1020 GT, 940 NT

Sold 1909 to Petrol Traffic Co., Duluth MN (home port to Duluth MN) and renamed George H. Van Vleck.

Burned Aug 3, 1914 in Duluth MN harbor.  Downbound from Duluth Aug 2 with cargo of lumber, towing barge Forster M. Mitchell, fire discovered off Outer Island, Lake Superior.   Dropped line to barge, which was rescued by str. Corvus.  Towed to Duluth by str. William C. Agnew, where the fire was eventually extinguished.  Repaired but did not operate again for this owner.

Sold Feb 10, 1918 to Thomas Norton,

Wrecked Dec 4, 1918 in Detroit River near Wyandotte MI.  Blown off mooring in storm and driven ashore..

W195