PEWABIC

Freight-Passenger-Commercial fishing Vessels of Lake Nipigon

As remembered by Adolph King of Rossport, Ontario , 1974

Nipigon Museum Archives

The Pewabic

The next major Vessel was a smaller craft of 52 feet in length named the "Pewabic". Also it was housed full length or nearly so.

It was an early construction days vessel and handled both freight and passengers.

"Pewabic" had only one main deck and no upper deck.

It was propelled by a single screw, fore and aft compound with jet condenser engine built by "Polson Iron Works" Toronto, with an 8 nominal horsepower.

When construction days ended "Pewabic" was pulled on the East shore of Lake Nipigon until the early fall of 1916 when the "Pewabic" was stripped of housework to enter the commercial fishing industry.

The writer, who was serving as Engineer for Fort William Fish Co. who purchased the "Pewabic" was called to Lake Nipigon to fit up the machinery of the "Pewabic" thereby outfitting the first commercial fishing vessel on Lake Nipigon.

The "Pewabic" was operated for two months in the fall of 1916 as the only steam Tug on the Lake. Ombabika and others followed in 1917.

The writer operated in 1917 and 1918, especially 1917, when crafts of all description came into Lake Nipigon by rail from all directions. The "Pewabic" had also come in to Lake Nipigon in Sections and was assembled there.

The "Pewabic's" boiler and engine were sold to the scrap dealers in 1933 and remains in shallow water one mile west of Macdiarmid.

construction = CNR north of Lake Nipigon