Re: Thames River

From: Al Mann
Location: Wallaceburg, Ont.
Email: boatman@kent.net
Remote Name: 216.8.169.116
Date: 07/31/04
Time: 08:41:18 AM

Comments

A few additional notes about Thames River..Navigation probably began with the British retreat "up"the Thames in the war of 1812. First steamboat in Chatham was the "Argo" in 1828-29.Shipbuilding began in Chatham with about 30 vessels of substantial tonnage built there including two Beatty Line vessels, "Ontario" (1873) and "Quebec" (1874)Passenger vessels called regularly between Chatham-Detroit and Wallaceburg during the early 20th century, namely Ossigrage, City of Chatham, Thousand Islander. The last came in 1937 when the City of Hancock made a Civic Holiday excursion from Chatham. In the 1930's coal was brought in by vessels such as John R.Emery and C.W. Cadwell. There was also a brisk sugar beet trade to Chatham with tugs such as Wm.R Rooney,Henry Stokes hauling barges. Occasionally McQueen rigs from Amherstburg would ply the Thames to Chatham e.g. tug Atomic and bg. T.F. Newman. The last known large ship to Chatham was "Bayfax" (with coal) in early 1950's but she experienced groundings and the service was discontinued.Today,only pleasure craft traffic is noted but it is on decline mainly because of Thames silting and gathering of debris at Lighthouse Cove (mouth of Thames) which makes access harrowing.