Life of the Prussia
The Prussia was initially built for the Lake Superior trade. In her first years, she traded on Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, making journeys from Garden Island to Port Dalhousie and Toledo to Port Colbourne. In the next few years, her range expanded to Grand Marais, Minnesota, and Elk Rapids, Michigan. In later years, Prussia was losing popularity as larger barges dwarfed her. There was also competition against railroads, and Calvin, the owner, started looking into towing as a viable alternative to sailing. Beginning in 1884, she is mentioned as being towed more frequently.
The Calvin Company was heading toward a slow death. The Garden Island location could not compete with other sawmills that had direct access to railroads. Although not certain, the Calvins may have sold Prussia shortly after 1891, as Calvin built bigger barges then.
What is certain is that starting around 1898, Prussia operated in Lake Huron, especially around the Georgian Bay. She is mentioned a few times in the Wiarton Echo as being in various local villages, Wiarton, Red Bay and Owen Sound and in association with two names, G.E. Smith and J. E. Williscroft.
The birth of the Cyrenian
In July 1900, J.E. Williscroft requested a name change from Prussia to Cyrenian. It is stated that Prussia was “cut down in depth, extensively altered, and changed from a schooner to a tow barge.” In 1902, the Marine Record of Cleveland reports that Lillie Smith and her consort, the Cyrenian, are at winter quarters in Owen Sound. Wherever Lillie Smith went, the Cyrenian was with her.
In 1906, the Cyrenian was sold to the Ontario Lumber Co. Throughout its existence, the Ontario Lumber Company was very successful. In the early 1910s, however, the company was heavily fined for polluting the French River and choking fish spawn areas. The company never recovered after that; in early 1913, it went into receivership. The Cyrenian’s demise was later that same year.
