Learn More About the Spartan

I picked up this original imperial sized cabinet card of the Great Lakes sidewheel steamer Spartan last week. No photographer is given and the view is difficult to attribute due to the vessel’s broad geographical career. However, based on the style of the card and the vessel’s appearance I’d place the date at about 1890 and possibly during her time on the western Great Lakes.

The 176 ft. Spartan was an iron-hulled sidewheeler built at Montreal, Quebec in 1864, reportedly with a significant portion of her being pre-fabricated in Scotland. During much of the 1860s and 70s, she ran on the St. Lawrence. I have a dramatic early stereoview of her running the Lachine Rapids. In 1880, she was chartered as a Royal Mail carrier, running to Owen Sound and other ports on Georgian Bay and Lake Superior.

She was nearly lost in May of 1883 when she stranded on remote Caribou Island in Lake Superior. After spending much of the summer on the rocks, she was recovered and repaired at Detroit. She eventually returned to the St. Lawrence and was lengthened in 1900 and renamed Belleville in 1905. She was again rebuilt in 1915 for the freight trade, running until 1924 when was was stripped and abandoned at Kingston, Ontario.

Like many early iron-hulled vessels, she had an exceptionally long career, lasting 60 years. I’d be interested if anyone can ID the location of this photo, as it would help me determine its time period.

(This is a digital image of an archival original in my private collection. Please include original description if re-sharing on Facebook.)

Story Submitted by Brendon Baillod

Brendon Baillod is President of the Wisconsin Underwater Archeology Association.