1

In the 1860 Census, "…one hundred and eleven, British and foreign, steamers and sailing vessels, reported inwards, at this Port of Bruce Mines for the year ending 31 Dec 1860."
The Enumerator of the Census was John Bowker, who was also the Collector of Customs.

2

A newspaper clipping from the Bruce Mines Spectator's column "Memories of a Bruce Mines Boy" tells of a three masted schooner, 50 feet long and around 15 feet wide, being built in Bruce Mines in 1866. The author describes watching the schooner being built. John Hallam, a carpenter, and Mr. Pearce, a ship carpenter were in charge of the construction. Apparently in 1880 the ship was taken to Marquette, Michigan and her name changed from "Mary Emily" to "Tom Boy". The ship was owned by a Captain Daniels who used her for years to transport high explosives from Marquette to different locations on Lake Superior.
The conclusion of the Tom Boy's story was found on the Marquette Underwater Preserve website in the 'Undiscovered Wrecks', taken from "Marquette Shipwrecks", by Frederick Stonehouse.
"The 50-foot schooner Tom Boy was lost in a gale on August 1, 1880 off Shot Point. The tiny craft with her captain and one crewman had set out from Marquette to Hancock with a cargo of 2043 kegs of black powder when a gale blew up from the southwest, causing the boat to start taking on water. The two men pumped for over 4 hours but were unable to save it, finally abandoning ship 10 miles east of the south end of the Marquette breakwater and 5 miles north of Shot Point."

3

Cornish miner, Capt. John Simmons, his wife and two children came from Cornwall in 1860. They took a steamer from Hayle to Bristol, another from Bristol to Liverpool, then steamer "North Britain" to Quebec, a long railroad ride to Montreal, then Toronto, and Collingwood.

"…the most enjoyable was the steamer trip across Lake Huron in the good ship 'Ploughboy'. "

...which landed them safely at Bruce Mines.

4

Bruce Mines Public Wharf
1901
Bruce Mines, Ontario, Canada

5

The public wharf was built in 1901 and rebuilt in 1916. It consisted of a headblock, 90 feet square, of combined cribwork and pile trestle. The headblock was connected to the shore by a pile trestle 100' x 20' and a stone and gravel approach 850' x 20'. A shed 30' x 60' was located on the headblock, for freight storage and an office.

Photo courtesy of Merritt Strum.

6

Foghorn
1902
Bruce Mines Museum, Bruce Mines, Ontario, Canada

7

This hand-pumped foghorn was used on the government dock in Bruce Mines.
Stencilling on the top reads: "Bluenose" Double Horn, Made by Powers Bros. Ltd., Lunenburg, N.S.

8

In 1902, a lantern on the wharf's freight shed served as the Bruce Mines lighthouse.
The McKay Island's lighthouse was built in 1907 and is now private property.

9

SS Premier at the dock in Bruce Mines.
1925
Bruce Mines, Ontario, Canada

10

Passenger vessels, such as the "Caribou" and the "Premier" stopped on a regular basis in Bruce Mines. These vessels brought passengers and supplies to the area.
The steamship "Premier" was destroyed by fire and sank at the dock in the 1920's. It had sailed the Thessalon circuit for nine years. Divers later recovered the propeller and salvaged the metal from her boilers.

Photo courtesy of Merritt Strum.

11

Area shipwrecks include: Turret Crown (steel), Victoria Crown (wood), The Oregon (wood, built in 1882), Winslow (wood), Queen City (wood), and the Primrose.
These are just a few of the ships lost in Lake Huron from Meldrum Bay to St. Joseph Island.

12

Freight shed on the Bruce Mines wharf.
1916
Bruce Mines, Ontario, Canada

13

In the 1970's the freight shed was moved from the wharf to the Central Algoma Exhibition Grounds in Bruce Mines.

Photo courtesy of Merritt Strum.