The tiles on this marker present an illustration of the wooden steam barge SIMON LANGELL. This 195 ft. Great Lakes freighter was built in St. Clair’s Langell Shipyard in 1886 and named after the shipbuilder. She was originally operated by the Langell family’s Clair Transportation Co. engaged in the iron ore trade. In 1889, under the first of four new owners, the SIMON LANGELL delivered stone to Duluth, Minnesota, then brought 800,000 feet of lumber downbound on her return trip. The round trip took nearly a month because the SIMON LANGELL usually had three barges in tow. During her 50 years of regular sailing, she had two new and larger boilers installed for more power. On Nov. 23, 1936 the SIMON LANGELL caught fire and burned at the dock at Portsmouth, Ontario. The following year, the hull was raised, towed out into Lake Huron near Sarnia, Ontario and scuttled.

Vessel Name: SIMON LANGELL

Official Number: 116091

Rig: Propeller

Vessel Length: 195.25 feet

Vessel Width: 34.50 feet

Vessel Depth: 13.58 feet

Gross Tonnage:  845.00

Net Tonnage: 677.00

Hull Material: Wood

Builder: Simon Langell

Notes:

1886 – April 24, enrolled Port Huron, MI

1886 – June, aground Lake George

1886 – August 14, owned. Clair Transportation Co., China, MI; towed SWEETHEART & F.M. KNAPP inTwo Harbors iron ore trade

1889 – March 16, owned Alex R. Sinclair et al, Port Huron. During Alex R. Sinclair’s affiliation with vessel, she largely ran in Kelley’s Island-Duluth stone trade, carrying 800,000 feet of lumber on downbound return trip. The voyage usually took about a month round trip, with schooner

barges ARENAC AND W.K. MOORE and occasionally INTERLAKEN in tow.

1891 – December, new boiler

1893 – November 30, collision with unknown steamer off Presque Isle, Lake Huron, stopping her machinery for an hour.

1898 – October, stranded on Goose Island, released the 17th

1899 – new 14’4” x 12’8” 178# steam firebox boiler, William Denny & Brothers, Scotland

1900 – March 12, rig changed, 1 deck, 2 mast

1905 – October 17, aground Tonawanda River with lumber

1906 – August 16, Detroit, repairs to bow & bulwarks, damaged in collision with barge CHATTANOOGA, Soo passage.

1913 – March 10, owned Sinclair Transportation Co., Duluth, MN

1916 – April17, owned Argo Steamship Co., Mentor Special District, OH

1919 – March 2, owned Robert S. Misner et al, Sarnia, ONT; C138373

1923 – owned Langell Transportation Co., Sarnia

1930 – laid up Portsmouth, ONT

1936 – hull stripped

1936 – November 23, burned at dock.

1937 – hull raised, towed 

Great Lakes Maritime Database and photo archives, Great Lakes Maritime Collection, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library. “Shipbuilding in St. Clair,” Research Binder, Ships File Cabinet, St. Clair Historical Museum and Research Center archives.