S.S. Tashmoo

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• Some comments on Tashmoo..having worked at McQueen Marine from the mid-50's to the late 70's, I heard some comments and stories from the older men that worked there. It was well before my time and since older employees have passed on, I am sure there are not too many men left that would have remembered where her pilot house ended up. As far as I know, McQueen had it sitting on the dock at the old McQueen yard, but not sure what happened to her after that. As far as the pilot house that was placed on a small island in front of the late Johnny Goodchilds house (Capt. Hackett's house) that is not the pilot house off the Tashmoo. During the 1960's, I was on the tug, "Amherstburg," and we towed an old car ferry from Sarnia to drydock at Port Weller from Welland Canal. I believe it was the old Pere' Marqette#14, which later became the car ferry St. Clair. She moved cars back and forth across the river between Sarnia and Port Huron. Anyway, John Goodchild purchased the old pilot house at the drydocks and had it loaded on the back of the tug, "Amherstburg," and we brought it up to Amherstburg. He then had it set on a small island in the front of his house. Those houses, by the way, were Capt. McQueens, Capt. Penners, & Capt. Hacketts, all side by side. I had pictures of the pilot house sitting on the back of the " Amherstburg" and they are presently in an album that has been on display at the "Marsh Collecction" in Amherstburg all summer. You might fined some good information at the "Marsh Collection" across from the Echo office in town. There was a McQueen display there all summer.

• Capt. Morrison, thanks for the info!

• Something interesting I read in a book this summer. When the Tashmoo ran aground near Belle Isle ,it made it back to A'burg. The salvage tug captain filled the hull with manure. The mamure swelled up in the water and pluged the hole.He then pumped out the water and towed it away.I will search my records for this artical.

• Hello to all how have a love for the Tashmoo" my name is Craig Cantrell,
  my grandfather & Grandmother Barny Miller, Lila Miller lived on the Tashmoo & worked
  the old Girl. My father would ride his tricycle up and down the decks at the age of 5. My Uncle Loren Wilcox worked on her also. He was actually on the Tashmoo at the time that she started to go down. They were able to get her to the dock on the Canadian side of the Straits, where she then sunk and ended her journy. He was also there when they dismembered her.
  If you would like to see a couple of the paintings that i did of the Tashmoo at
  http://www.redbubble.com/people/cdcantrell
  PS I'm do a piece of the tashmoo being dismantel of her uper decks'
  I hope you all injoy the art work thank you Craig Cantrell.

• Hello, my Great-Great Grandfather is A.A. Parker of the White Star Line, Detroit. I found a great book that has some of the missing information about the Tashmoo pilot house. According to Michael M. Dixon's book "When Detroit Rode The Waves" (2003, Mervue Publications) the Tashmoo pilot house was purchased by Captain McKenty of Chatham, Ontario. Dixon states that the "Tashmoo Cottage" burned down on June 10, 1951

• This one is for Capt. Morrison:....I just ran across this while I was checking up on the " Atomic". I lived in amherstburg in the early 50's till 1955 right on dalhousie st..directly across from BoBlo Island.just down about 3 houses from Cap McQeens, Penner and Hacketts....I was on all three of the tugs ( Atomic, Aburg and Patricia McQueen ) at one time or another when they were docked at McQueen marine as a child because my father knew some of the guys there...i think he knew penner and hackett as by that time i think Cap mcQueen had passed away....but thing is that i remember that pilothouse being out there, now there are houses all along the river side of the street that were never there in early 50's....So i also have a question that maybe Cap Morrison can answer for me...i read that william smith of amherstburg had purchased the Aburg in 1978 used it for a couple of years then sold it in 1980 ...wondering if this is the son of former mayor murray smith of amherstburg ?...thanks Cap morrison for sharing, brings back alot of memories with the mention of those 3 captains names.

• I need to make a slight correction here on my post....the pilothouse I mentioned remembering was actually viewed later on, as i made visits back and forth for years from detroit area, where we moved to in 1955.....also took me awhile here, but i think i now remembered capt hacketts name ( charles, now verified, after first post ) and capt penners name ( jake ? )...and yes, my father did know capt hackett.

• M. Chanter, The tug captains on the "Atomic" were Capt. Jake Penner, 1946-1955,Capt. Angus Morrison, 1955-1962, and I took over after my Dad's passing. Big shoes to fill when your 24. I worked mostly with my Dad during the 50's.
  Regarding Bill Smith. His father, indeed was mayor H.Murray Smith.And Bill did own the tug, A'burg for a couple of years, then sold her up into Georgian Bay, somewhere. The last I saw her, her name was the "Dawnlight" and she was sitting in Tobermory. When I first got my license in '61, she was my first job pushing ships around Sarnia Harbour. Bill Smith use to come with me, a couple of times a year. (if we were short a wheelsman. I always like to have him, because he could steer and read the radar. I think he just wanted to get away from the quarry a while. Sorry I took so long in replying to you.

• Just the round portion of the upper structure survived. It was placed on a man made islet. It was directly across from the Boblo Island dock. I went by it a million times growing up. I'd like to add a big THANK YOU to mayor hurst for allowing that side of the riverfront to be developed. Now, sadly, all you get are glimpses of the Detroit River due to the fact that every inch of property is covered with homes.

• Does anyone know if there are any employee records from the McQeen Marine. My father worked in the 40's on one of their barges and I was wondering if I could find his records. I am doing a genealogy research. His name is Ernest E Harris. He is deceased as of 1959.