The paddle-wheel steamer Maud (1871)

Later the America, then Midland City (or City of Midland)

The following extracts are from a series published in the Watertown Daily Times, probably 1947-48, exact dates unknown. All the images are credited to Earle A. Gardner. Details and press reports can be found below.

As Maud

As America

As Midland City

General : as built

Details of rebuilds as America and Midland City to follow.

Newspaper transcriptions

1. Kingston News : Thursday, August 17, 1871
   The Launch - Mr. Charles Gildersleeve's new steamer was successfully launched Wednesday afternoon. The time announced for the ceremony was four o'clock, and by that hour a large number of persons had assembled near the vessel at the foot of Union street, on Henderson's wharf and on the neighbouring barges and vessels. A delay of over an hour was occasioned by some barges which lay in the water right in the course of the launch, which were not removed until half-past five o'clock, by which time a number of persons had become tired of waiting and had gone away. At five o'clock Mrs. Gildersleeve and her daughter Maud, after whom the steamer is named, a pretty bright blond of eight years, whose long loose tresses realized Tennyson's Maud - "with sunny hair," and whose juvenile beauties were heightened with a pure white dress, trimmed with blue, arrived in company with several ladies and personal friends. A temporary accommodation ladder had been arranged on the starboard side of the vessel, which was removed as soon as the party were on board. Miss Gildersleeve immediately on going on board took her position at the bow of the boat and grasped the gaily ribboned bottle, with which the baptismal ceremony was to be consummated. She was supported by her father and Mrs. Gildersleeve, and the other ladies stood near. Just at that moment, a few minutes before the bottle was broken and the vessel had glided gracefully into the water, the scene was very pretty, and, as it always is upon such occasions, there was just enough of anxiety and excitement to make the affair interesting. At length all was ready and -
   
   "Loud and sudden there was heard,
   All around them and below,
   The sound of hammers, blow on blow,
   Knocking away the shores and spurs.
   And see! she stirs!
   She starts - she moves - she seems to feel
   The thrill of life along her keel,
   And, spurning with her foot the ground,
   With one exulting, joyous bound,
   She leaps into Ontario's arms!
   And, lo! from the assembled crowd
   There rose a shout, prolonged and loud."
   
   And thus amid the plaudits of the crowd the new vessel left her cradle, and as the officiating sprite manfully dashed the bottle against her bows, the newly christened craft slowly and steadily, "like a thing of life," sought the waters of the lake upon whose bosom, it is to be hoped, her future career may be long and prosperous. We have previously given the dimensions of the Maud, and it only remains to add that now, upon the water, her appearance is universally pronounced that of a very pretty little steamer. We understand that she is intended to run between Picton and Belleville, and will be commanded by Captain W. Swales, who has superintended the whole of her iron work during the course of construction.
2. Kingston Whig-Standard : Saturday, September 8, 1934
   Gildersleeve Marine Days
   One who has witnessed the launching of the passenger steamboat Maud in Kingston harbor half a century ago state that this vessel (latterly called the Midland City, and which ran on a rock in Georgian Bay a fortnight ago) was built in Scotland, having born ordered constructed by a company of which the late Charles F. Gildersleeve of Kingston, was head. Mr. Gildersleeve’s grandfather, built the Queen Charlotte at Bath in the year 1818, which boat was one of the early steamers to run on Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte.
   The Maud was called after Maud Gildersleeve. the daughter of Charles F. Gildersleeve and who is now Mrs. Rivers, widow of Colonel Victor Rivers, of the headquarters staff, Ottawa, who was a great cricket player when he was with the Royal Canadian Artillery at Kingston.
   Charles F. Gildersleeve was for some years general manager of the old Richelieu and Ontario Navigation Company and under his direction built the present passenger steamboat Toronto and Kingston and other large vessels for the increasing business of its Niagara-to-the-sea route. His son, the late Harry H. Gildersleeve was another of that family who was prominent in the steamboat business.
   Launched Here
   The steamboat Maud was put together at the old Kingston shipyard at the foot of Gore Street and launched there. Eventually she was acquired by the Folgers for their Kingston - Thousand Islands, Cape Vincent traffic. The Gildersleeves were in the steamboat business at Kingston for one hundred years and established a fine record. C. F. Gildersleeve and his son, H. H. Gildersleeve, operated the Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte Steamboat Company with the steamers North King and Gaspian. When these vessels went out of business, H. H. Gildersleeve became manager of the Northern Navigation Company at Collingwood. He died at Ottawa two years ago.
   The Maud, afterwards the America and later the Midland City, was a side wheel steamboat like the Britannic which was also built in a British yard and operated as an Allan Line tug in Montreal harbor for years and which is still running as a freight and passenger vessel between Montreal and Kingston, being perhaps the oldest vessel of its type on the St. Lawrence. It was built in 1866 and is still in good condition.

References and source notes

(1) Naval Marine Archive, Willis Metcalfe fonds
(2) Naval Marine Archive, J. Plomer fonds fonds
(3) Richard Palmer (newspaper transcriptions)
(4) Canadian coastal and inland steam vessels, 1809-1930 "Mills list", 1st ed.
(5) The Scanner, Toronto Marine Historical Society