Fontana
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Fontana Built - 1888 231 ft. x 39 ft. x 17 ft. The Great Lakes freighter Fontana was built in St. Clair's Langell Shipyard in 1888 and launched for the St. Clair Steam Ship Company. On August 2, 1900 she was down bound on Lake Huron being towed by the steamer Kaliyuga (also built in the Langell Shipyard) loaded with 2,593 tons of iron ore from Presque Isle and bound for Cleveland, Ohio. She collided with the schooner Santiago and sunk in the mouth of the St. Clair River near Port Huron. Wreckage of the Fontana remains offshore by the Fort Gratiot lighthouse but scuba divers must be very strong and experienced to manage the currents if they wish to dive the wreck.
Images
Hull of the Great Lakes freighter Fontana lying near the mouth of the St. Clair River after colliding with the Santiago.
Photo of the brass plaque on the Boardwalk showing the data for the Great Lakes freighter Fontana including year built and length.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Fontana on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Fontana. The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 231 ft. length of the Fontana.
Sources
St. Clair, by Charles Homberg, St. Clair Historical Commission, 2007; St. Clair Historical Museum and Research Center archives; Great Lakes Ships data base, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, Alpena, Michigan; Great Lakes Freighters by Rand Shackleton, Thunder Bay Press, 2003.