1897 George Stephenson 1959 (1963)
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at West Bay City by F. W. Wheeler & Co., Hull 116
Launched Sept 23, 1896
432’ LOA, 408’ LBP, 48’6” beam, 28’ depth
1 deck, hold beams, hatches @ 24’, coal-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1700 IHP
Enrolled at Port Huron MI Nov 17, 1896 (Temp #37)
407.4 x 49.3 x 23.8, 4563.69 GT, 3502.91 NT US 86367 to:
Bessemer Steamship Co., Cleveland OH (home port Duluth MN)
Entered service April 27, 1897 sailing light from Bay City MI to Duluth MN towing barge Sir Isaac Lothian Bell
Permanent enrollment at Duluth MN May 1, 1897 (#42)
Fleet merged March 1901 into Pittsburgh Steamship Co., Duluth MN, a subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation, A. B. Wolvin, Mgr.
Cargo hold rebuilt 1925 at Conneaut OH
Remeasured to 409.4 x 49.9 x 23.4, 3884 GT, 3155 NT
Sold 1939 to Buckeye Steamship Co., Cleveland OH, Hutchinson & Co., Mgr.
Sold 1959 to Beta Lake Ship Co., Buffalo NY, a subsidiary of Continental Grain Co., for grain storage in Buffalo harbor and retired from active service. Scrapped 1963 at Hamilton ON. \
X714
my father capt Oakley kellers 3rd command with buckeye steamship; co. caught in a storm on lake superior probably 1940 . she had a sharp bow and a wave smashed into her knocking the pilot house back several inches and tearing the companionway off with pieces found on the aft end. her whole forwd end was submerged and she shuddered and rose. his first command the steamer triston was sent to the atlantic for war duty and sunk by a german submarine in the keys. a totol of five commands with buckeye steamship co.
I sailed on her as a deckhand in 1946. I would like to get a picture of her.
Donald, I found a picture of the ship at: https://greatlakes.bgsu.edu/media/478059
My grandfather Elmer Barfield was a Fireman on this ship in 1941. I don’t know much about him other than I heard he was a merchant marine.
I found him on a record for this ship.