SS Midland City

Midland City was originally built as a ferry named Maud (occasionally Maude). She was pre-fabricated at Glasgow in Scotland, disassembled, and shipped across the Atlantic in pieces that were reunited in Kingston[1] This original vessel was 114 feet (35 m) long, 19 feet (5.8 m) wide with a depth of hold of 6 feet (1.8 m),[2] drawing about 3 feet (0.91 m) of water. Her side-mounted paddle wheels and 200 hp (150 kW) engine[3] gave the original ship a top speed estimated at 13 miles per hour (21 km/h). Her tonnage was variously stated as between 120 and 133 tons reg. (293 tons gross). She was built with a steel-reinforced timber hull over an iron frame. Her capacity is listed as 550 passengers.[2]

Assembled by the Gildersleeves (a shipbuilding family and political dynasty) and completed August 1871, Maud was originally intended to provide passenger and cargo service between Picton and Belleville, Ontario under the command of Captain W. Swales.[4] She was valued at $20,000 and sold to a W. Nickle, Esq. of Kingston in January 1873.[5] Both Swales and Nickle (or Nichol) were involved in the construction of the ship, according to a report from the day of her launch.[6]

In 1886, the vessel was sold to the St. Lawrence River Steamboats Co. of Kingston.[2] In 1895 she was refitted and enlarged, now 153 feet long, 35 feet in breadth and 266 tons (521 tons gross). Re-named America, she provided passenger service on Lake Ontario for many years before being refitted again in 1921, and once more in 1933.

After the close of the 1920 navigation season, Northern Navigation Company announced they intended to discontinue their steamship service between Midland and Parry Sound, leaving Midland businessmen to find a replacement for the popular excursion steamer route. To deal with the tourist traffic in the southern Georgian Bay region, the Georgian Bay Tourist Company and the Honey Harbour Navigation Company were organized. The original intention of the company was to have a ship capable of carrying 400 passengers to leave Midland daily, on the arrival of a new G.T.R. train, running to San Souci and returning to Midland the next day, connecting with the train. The Grand Trunk Railway company was brought on board with the plan. A second steamboat was required to convey passengers among the Honey Harbour Islands.[7]

Docked at Go Home Bay, 1938

America was renamed SS Midland City in 1921, before a 1922 rebuild in Kingston that saw her weight increase to 580 tons gross.[2] Among the changes made during this refit was the installation of a bay to carry two cars. She was then brought to Georgian Bay where the steamer ran a regular route from Midland to Parry Sound, stopping in Honey Harbour, Minnicog, Whalen's, Go-Home-Bay, Wah-Wah-Taysee, Manitou, Copperhead, Sans Souci, and Rose Point.[8]

The 1933 refit was the most extensive, replacing the steam engine with a new 300 hp diesel motor.[2][9] She was accidentally beached at Watcher's Reef on 26 August 1934, but suffered no damage.[10] The ship continued to act as a ferry on Georgian Bay until 1955.