Steamboats
Through its existence, the company operated several steamboats (see table). At the time, the area was becoming a popular resort destination. Several large hotels operated on the Lake of Bays and on the lower lakes and the steamboat business grew to service them, connecting with the Grand Trunk Railway, at Huntsville.
Steamboats operated on both sides of the portage. The lower lakes run started in Huntsville and ran east through Fairy Lake and into Peninsula Lake. After the trip on the portage railway, passengers boarded another steamboat for a trip on Lake of Bays. All the boats were powered by steam engines except the Iroquois II which used a diesel engine.
| Ship Name | Built | Owner | Operation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S.S. Northern | 1877 | Denton | Lower Lakes | Dismantled in 1897 |
| S.S. Erastace Wiman | 1890 | Denton | Lower Lakes | Burned December 15, 1899. |
| S.S. Mary Louise | 1884 | Marsh | Lake of Bays | Retired in 1907 |
| S.S. Excelsior | 1884 | Marsh | Lower Lakes | Purchased in 1891. Burned in 1894 |
| S.S. Lady of the Lake | 1886 | Marsh | Lake of Bays | Dismantled in 1910 |
| S.S. Empress Victoria | 1894 | Marsh | Lower Lakes | Built on hull of Excelsior. Retired in 1915 |
| S.S. Dortha | 1894 | HLBTC | Lake of Bays | Renamed the Ramona in 1908. Retired during the depression |
| S.S. Joe | 1900 | HLBTC | Both | Dismantled in 1919 and sunk - bow can be seen (below water) south side of Portage Bay, Lake of Bays. |
| S.S. Phoenix | 1900 | HLBTC | Both | Tugboat. Dismantled in 1925 |
| S.S. Florence Main | 1901 | HLBNC | Both | Imported to Huntsville, from Muskoka Lake 1904, entered service 1905, moved to L' of Bays 1907, rebuilt 1913. |
| S.S. Mohawk Belle | 1913 | HLBNC | Lake of Bays | Reconstructed from Florence Main |
| S.S. Algonquin | 1906 | HLBNC | Lower Lakes | Hull replaced in 1928. Retired in 1952 |
| S.S. Iroquois | 1907 | HLBNC | Lake of Bays | Retired in 1948, sank at South Portage dock - stern can be seen 5' below water. |
| M.S. Iroquois II | 1949 | HLBNC | Both | Transferred to Lower Lakes in 1953. Sold in 1960 |
Read more about this topic: Huntsville And Lake Of Bays Transportation Company
Famous quotes containing the word steamboats:
“Hast ever ben in Omaha
Where rolls the dark Missouri down,
Where four strong horses scarce can draw
An empty wagon through the town?
Where sand is blown from every mound
To fill your eyes and ears and throat;
Where all the steamboats are aground,
And all the houses are afloat?...
If not, take heed to what I say,
You’ll find it just as I have found it;
And if it lies upon your way
For God’s sake, reader, go around it!”
—For the State of Nebraska, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)