St Stephen New Brunswick & Calais Maine ship building history 1800s
St Stephen New Brunswick and Calais Maine had a vibrant shipping industry on the St. Croix River for over a hundred years which is now forgotten.The St. Croix region is a major transportation route between the United States and Canada with an average of 6000 border crossings a day. The summer season sees a significant increase during tourism season.
When I lived in St Stephen, one complaint I often heard was that St Stephen and Calais were not able to entice people to stay and the traffic largely passed through en route to more popular destinations such as St. Andrews, Saint John, Fredericton or Moncton.
I would love to see both towns embrace the shipping past and recreate the ship building industry as a tourism industry.
Below is an exert from the book "Annals of Calais, Maine and St. Stephen, New Brunswick" By Rev. I.C. Knowton in 1875 which describes the glorious shipping past.
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Calais and St. Stephen are located on the opposite banks of the St Croix river, at the head of the tide, about twelve miles from the magnificent arm of the ocean, St. Andrews Bay. The river has bold and picturesque shores, and varies in width from fifty rods to two hundred. The tide rises and falls twenty-six feet, making the river navigable for large vessels, twice in every twenty four hours. At low water, however, the river appears like a shallow stream running through a wide and deep valley. The bed of the river, made soft by vast accumulations of mud and sawdust, permits vessels of any size to ground without injury.
The principal export from Calais and St. Stephen has ever been lumber. The St Croix is an easy path to the ocean, and for bulky and heavy merchandize, the ocean road is ever the cheapest way to market. Hence, from the first, the lumbermen have required and employed a large number of vessels; and on account of both the size of the river, and the small cargoes desired by western purchasers, in the coasting line small vessels have generally been preferred. So long as the shippers of lumber were cramped for means, the freighting was done by vessels owned in St. Andrews, St. John, Portland, Boston, and elsewhere; but at an early day, the thrifty operators in the forest resolved to build, own and manage vessels in which to export their manufactures. On experiment, this was found to be good policy; and it was ultimately adopted by all who possessed the means. Seventy-five years ago the registry of new vessels was not attended to so faithfully, at least in this part of the country, as at present; but the following is deemed reliable so far as it goes:
In 1797, tradition reports a vessel built in St. Stephen, Alexander Gordon, and sold to Smith & Robinson, of St. John. If the story is correct, this was the first vessel launched into the river above St. Andrews. In 1799 and 1800, the schooner Anne was built in St. Stephen, for Joseph Porter. In 1803, Jarius Keene built for an Eastport company, the schooner Liberty, on Kilburn’s Point, Calais. This was the first one launched in Calais. About this time, the brig Aeolus was built in St. Stephen, for Abner Hill and Aaron Upton: and the schooner Boyne, in Calais, for Shubael Downes. Probably other vessels were built on each side of the river, previous to 1812, but I have not been able to find their names or owners. The war came; business as suspended; hard times followed; and we hear no more ship-building until 1818. In that year, Jarius Keene built the schooner Unity, in St. Stephen. He also built in Calais, in 1820, the schooner Boston, and in 1823, the Calais Packet.
For a few years, commencing perhaps about 1818, ship-building in St, Stephen was brisk and profitable, and quite an number of vessels were launched. Among the master-builders were David Eastman and a Mr. Godfrey from Stueben, Me.; and among the owners were William Porter and the Messrs, Clark. The Fingal and Wm. Wallace, the barque Cleopatra, and the ship Heroine, - the first ship ever built in town, - were successfully launched. But in 1823-4, in consequence of the stringent money market and financial panic in Europe, the ship-building business became so unprofitable that work in the yards entirely ceased, and several half-built vessels in St. Stephen, were abandoned and left to rot on the stocks. But the depression did not last long; the world needs a large fleet; and soon, the carpenters were again busily at work.
In 1825, Jarius Keen built brig Zipporah and schooner Sarah, in Calais, and brig Keziah, in St, Stephen; and the same year, O.P. Hinds built in St. Stephen, for James Frink, the schooner Henry. The next year, Mr. Hinds took down two of the rotting hulks, and worked over a part of their material into the two new brigs, Mary Porter and Pilgram. In 1827, Mr. Hinds also built in St. Stephen, barque Cereus and pilot boat John Campbell. In 1829, Mr. Keene built in Calais, the schooner Resolution; and Mr. Hinds built in St. Stephen, the brig Sampson. After this, the names of some of the vessels built, were, brig Royal William, St. Stephen, 1830; brigs, Eliza Ann, Nehemiah, Hester and Sir John Moore, St. Stephen, 1832; schooner Gov. Robbins, Calais, 1833; schooner Caribou, Calais, 1835: and soon after, schooner Freeport, brig Hebe and barque Stephen. Considerable building has been going on ever since; but for the names and dates, the reader must consult the Custom House records.
The following statement of the shipping interests in Calais, for 1874, does not materially differ from the average annual business of the past five years. One hundred and seventy-six vessels are owned in, or hail from Calais, and some twenty-five, from St. Stephen, During 1874, the river was open for navigation, 300 days.
Labels: Calais, history, shipbuilding, St Stephen
posted by Munro @ 11:24 AM
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