Prince Edward County - shipping lines
Bibliography and brief description
These [steam] shipping lines were either based in Prince Edward County, Ontario, or touched in the County on a regular basis.
Canada Steamship Lines, Montreal, QC
Incorporated 17 June 1913 as Canada Transportation Lines, Limited. Acquired corporate name on 4 December 1913 by merger of the Northern Navigation Company, the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Compagnie du Richelieu, Canada Interlake Lines, Ontario and Quebec Navigation Company, Lake Ontario & Bay of Quinte Steamboat Co., the Quebec and Steamship Co. and a group of subsidiaries of the Richelieu & Ontario Co. In 1925, Canada Steamship Lines bought Davie Shipbuilding and Repairing Co. Two years later the company owned 115 ships. Reorganized in 1937. Ceased Lake Ontario passenger service in 1952 and all passenger service on 10 November 1965. CSL sold the Hotel Tadoussac in 1966 and the Manoir Richelieu in 1968. In 1975 it became wholly owned by the Power Corporation of Canada, Limited. In January of 1980 it became a component of the CSL Group, Incorporated. Still active as of 1990. NOTE: materials from the Northern Navigation Division can be found under the beading of Northern Navigation Company.
Extensive documentation, including:
L'Encyclopédie du Canada : édition 2000, Montréal, Stanké, 2000, p.402.
Edgar Andrew Collard, Passage to the Sea : The Story of the Canada Steamship Lines, Toronto, Doubleday, 1991.
James Murton, «La «Normandie du Nouveau Monde» : la société Canada Steamship Lines, l'antimodernisme et la promotion du Québec ancien», Revue d'histoire de l'Amérique française, vol.55, no.1, été 2001, p. 3 à 44.
Bay of Quinte, Thousand islands, Montreal, [and] Quebec [via the Ontario, Bay of Quinte, and Quebec Division]. [Chicago: Poole Bros., 1914]. 1 sheet folded to [16] p, Illus., map. MSaP.
Deseronto Navigation Company, Mill Point (Deseronto), Ontario
Corporate history is elusive. Formed in 1880, with the majority of the capital stock owned by "Rathbun interests", it was announced in the British Whig (Kingston, ON) on 18 October 1880 that : "New Company - Messrs. H.B. Rathbun, E.W. Rathbun, F.S. Rathbun, and W.R. Aylesworth, of Mill Point, Hastings; and R.S. Crysler, of Kingston, have been incorporated under letter patent as 'The Deseronto Navigation Company for trans-lacustrine navigation, capital stock $2000.'" Perhaps (D.M.Wison) the company "operated at its inception seven steam freight and passenger boats, a steam tug and three barges." The mention of 'operated' may imply leasing or managing rather than ownership. The same source mentions 'familiar names', but not ownership, of Gypsy, Rocket, Reindeer, Varuna, America, Ella Ross, Desronto, Quinte, Pilgrim and Armenia. Also a steam barge Norman, and tugs Rescue and Emma Munson for towing log booms. Edward Rathburn is suggested as president of the company in the 1890s (p.48). However, whether managers or owners, the Deseronto Navigation Company was well covered by the press; for example:
British Whig, 15 Jan 1901, p.1 : Death of Capt. Anderson - Deseronto, Jan. 15th - Capt. Samuel Anderson, who has been seriously ill for some time, passed away at one o'clock this morning. He was well known, having been in the employ of the Deseronto Navigation Company for the past twenty-five years. The captain was in his seventy-sixth year. He leaves a wife, two daughters and four boys.
British Whig, 4 Apr 1902 : DESERONTO STEAMERS : The officers and crews of the Deseronto Navigation Company for the season 1902 are as follows:
Reliance - Captain James Dougherty; mate, David Ostrander; first engineer, John Toppings; second engineer, John Jamieson.
Ella Ross - Captain D.B. Christie; mate, M. Parmenter; engineer, John McFaul; purser, Edward Eakins.
Deseronto - Captain William Skillen; mate, F. Brisbane; engineer, George Stevens.
Rescue - Captain John Rowe; first engineer, Owen Flood; second engineer, George Toppings.
Nile - Captain W.J. Daly; mate, T. Linch; engineer, Thomas Timlan.
Ranger - Captain Howard Burnip; engineer, William Stanhope.
Armenia - Captain Gilbert Arthurs; mate, H. Burnip; engineer, P. Davis.
Considerable repairs and improvements have been made to the steamers under the supervision of James Jarrell, late of Kingston, now foreman in charge of Deseronto shipyards. The steamer Deseronto will resume her regular daily trips on the 7th. The steamer Ella Ross will commence her trips from Trenton to Picton next Thursday. The company are considering the advisability of building a new boat in their shipyard at Deseronto, during the summer to take care of their growing trade to St. Lawrence river points. This trade has been handled by the steamer Nile for a number of years, but has grown to such large proportions that additional carrying capacity is required. M.R. Davis, steamboat hull inspector, visited Deseronto yesterday, on his annual tour of inspection of the steamers of the Deseronto navigation company.
Press reports courtesy Walter Lewis.
Lake Ontario & Bay of Quinte Steamboat Co. Ltd., Kingston, Ont.
Incorporated in 1893. Known as the Bay of Quinte Line. Merged on 4 December 1913, with the Canada Steamship Lines.
The Bay of Quinte route to the Thousand islands. [Rochester?, 1893?]. 1 sheet folded to [18] p. Illus., map. CaOOA.
The Bay of Quinte route to the Thousand Islands. [Rochester?, 1894?]. 1 sheet folded to [18] p. Illus., map. CaOKQ, CaOOA, MSaP.
The Bay of Quinte route to the Thousand islands. [Rochester?, 1895?]. 1 sheet folded to [18] p. Illus., map. CaOOA, MSaP.
The Bay of Quinte route to the Thousand Islands. Rochester: Vredenburg & Co., [1896]. 1 sheet folded to [18] p. Illus., map. CaOOA.
The Bay of Quinte route to the Thousand Islands. [Rochester?, 1898?]. 1 sheet folded to [18] p. Illus., map. CaOOA, NR.
Steamer North King daily between Port Hope, Cobourg, Ont., and Rochester, N.Y., connecting Grand Trunk and N[ew] Y[ork] C[entral] railways, etc., July 1899. [Rochester?, 1899]. 1 sheet folded to [6] p. Illus., map. CaOOA, NR.
Scenic and ... sporting tours descriptive of the Bay of Quinte, the Kawartha Lakes region, and the hunting and fishing grounds on the shores of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, Central Canada. Rochester, NY: Union and Advertiser Press, [1900]. 83, [5] p. Illus., map. CaOKQ, CaOTAr.
The Bay of Quinte route to the Thousand Islands. Rochester, NY: Union & Adv[ertising] Press, [1901?]. 1 sheet folded to [18] p. Illus., map. MSaP, ViNeM.
Scenic and ... sporting tours descriptive of the Bay of Quinte, the Kawartha Lakes region, and the hunting and fishing grounds on the shores of Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte, Central Canada, season 1901. Rochester, NY: Union & Advertising Press, [1901]. [2], 75, [5] p. Illus., folding maps. MSaP.
Kawartha Lakes, Bay of Quinte, [and] 1000 Islands. Toronto: W[esley] S[andfield] Johnston & Co., [1907]. 32 p. Illus., folded map. CaOOA.
Kawartha Lakes, Bay of Quinte, [and] 1000 Islands [where] summer and fishing resorts [are] reached by the Lake Ontario & Bay of Quinte Steamboat Co., Limited. Toronto: W[esley] S[anfield] Johnston & Co., [1911?]. 32 p. Illus., folded map. CaOOA.
Lake Ontario Navigation Company, Toronto, Ont.
Incorporated on 23 April 1892. Apparently went out of existence around 1920.
St[eame]r Argyle sailing tri-weekly between the 1000 islands of the St. Lawrence River and Alexandria Bay, Rockport, Ont., Gananoque, Kingston, Oswego, Sodus Point, Charlotte, [and] Toronto. [N.p., 1899]. 1 sheet folded to [6] p. Illus. Effective June 24. CaOOA.
Steamer Argyle sailing tri-weekly between Toronto, Charlotte, Sodus Point, Oswego, Kingston, Rockport, Ont., Alexandria Bay and the 1000 Islands of the St. Lawrence River. [N.p., 1899]. 1 sheet folded to [6] p. Illus. Effective June 24. CaOOA.
St[eame]r Argyle [sailing schedule]. [N.p., 1900]. 1 sheet folded to [6] p. Illus. CaOOA.
Montreal & Rochester Transit Company, Picton, Ont
Probably established about 1890 by Arthur W. Hepburn. Familiarly known as the "Bay of Quinte Line." Became the Montreal, Rochester & Quebec Transit Company around 1900.
Steamer "Alexandria" [to] Rochester, N.Y., Bay of Quinte, Thousand Islands, St. Lawrence Rapids, and Montreal, calling at all intermediate ports, 1899. [N.p., 1899]. 1 sheet folded to [6] p. Illus. CaOOA, NR.
Montreal, Rochester & Quebec Transit Company, Picton, Ont
Apparently created around 1900 as successor to the Montreal & Rochester Transit Company. In 1905 it became the Ontario & Quebec Navigation Company, Limited.
Steamer Alexandria [serving] Buffalo, Olcott Beach, Rochester, Thousand Islands, Montreal, St. Lawrence Rapids, Quebec, Bay of Quinte, [and] calling at all intermediate points, 1904. [N.p., 1904]. 1 sheet folded to [12] p. Illus., map. CaOOA.
Ontario & Quebec Navigation Company, Limited, Picton, Ont.
Incorporated on 8 March 1905, as successor to the Montreal, Rochester & Quebec Transit Company. Acquired by the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company in 1913. Dissolved on 21 October 1963.
The Montreal, Rochester and Quebec Line, [with the] steamer Alexandria [serving] Buffalo, Olcott Beach, Rochester, Thousand Islands, Montreal, St. Lawrence
Rapids, Quebec [and] Bay of Quinte. [N.p., 19071. 1 sheet folded to [16] p. Illus., map. CaOOA.
The Montreal, Rochester and Quebec Line, [with the] steamer Alexandria [serving] Buffalo, Rochester, Thousand islands, Montreal, St. Lawrence Rapids, Quebec [and] Bay of Quinte. [N.p., 19081. 1 sheet folded to [16] p. Illus., map. CaOOA.
The Montreal, Rochester and Quebec Line, [with the] steamer Alexandria [serving] Buffalo, Rochester, Thousand Islands, Montreal, St. Lawrence Rapids, Quebec [and] Bay of Quinte. [N.p., 19101. 1 sheet folded to 116] p. Illus., map. CaOOA.
St. Lawrence River Line [to] Toronto, Rochester, Bay of Quinte, St. Lawrence River rapids, Montreal, [and] Quebec. [Montreal: Southam, Ltd., 19111. [12] p. Illus., map. CaOOA, NR.
St. Lawrence River Line [to] Rochester, Bay of Quinte, St. Lawrence River rapids, Montreal, [and] Quebec. Montreal: Southam, Limited, [1912?]. [12] p. Illus., map. MSaP.
Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Montreal, QC
Organized 8 April 1875, through a merger of the Canadian Navigation Company of Ontario and La Compagnie du Richelieu. In 1886 it acquired the St. Lawrence River Steam Navigation Company, then in June of 1911 it gained control of the Northern Navigation Company, Limited. Acquired the Thousand Island Steamboat Company and the Niagara Navigation Company on 1 June 1912. Reorganized on 12 April 1913, as the Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Company, Limited. Acquired by the Canada Steamship Lines on 1 June 1914.
Extensive documentation, including:
Hotels and steamers of Canada [serving] Lake Ontario, Thousand islands, rapids of the St. Lawrence, Niagara, Hamilton, Toronto, Charlotte, Bay of Quinte, Kingston, Clayton, Alexandria Bay [plus] hotels Manoir Richelieu and Tadousac [sic]. Montreal: Gazette Printing Co., [1907?]. [16] p. Illus., maps. Optional title: Through Canada by water. CaQMCCA, MSaP.