Yakima was a wooden bulk freighter that sailed on the Great Lakes. Thomas Quayle’s son’s constructed this freighter, the first ship on the Great Lakes with electric lights in Cleveland, Ohio.
On June 13, 1905, the Yakima burned just off Stag Island in the St. Clair River while traveling downstream with a load of iron ore after being stranded on June 10, 1905. She caught fire on June 13 and burned to the water’s edge while wreckers were removing her cargo. In order to recover her cargo and machinery, Reid Wrecking Co. lifted her on August 31. One boiler had rolled off the Reid barge, which was found in 1946 when the region was being dredged.
Stag Island
Stag Island is a private Canadian island situated between Marysville, Michigan, USA and Corunna, Ontario, Canada on the St. Clair River. Currently, more than 100 residences on the island are owned by Canadian and American citizens. There is a ferry service that operates to the island from Corunna. Before Great Lakes cruises lost popularity as a result of the invention of cars, Stag Island was a popular resort destination in the early 20th century. There was a beach, a hotel with 100 rooms, cottages with 6 to 8 rooms, a dining hall, sports, and entertainment as of 1903. Rail transportation to the mainland dock was accessible, and Star Line Steamers provided transportation to the island. Another hotel was constructed by 1906, and a pavilion featuring a ballroom and dining area.
By then, all of the park’s buildings had drinking water and electricity. There were 23 cottages available in all. Activities included fishing, boating, tennis, bowling, croquet, and bathing; a guide and supplies were supplied.
After World War I, the island’s economy experienced difficult times. In 1921, hotel base rates were as low as $8 per week and ranged from $1.00 to $1.50 per day, despite seasonal rates reaching $150. New management took over the next year. However, cottages and property started to be offered for sale in the vicinity, many at low prices, because business slowed. “At Stag Island – 10 Cottages to Rent” is the headline of an advertisement from July 2, 1925. Cottages were still available on July 12 and July 19 ads. Even though it was only for weekends, it demonstrates that lodgings that were unavailable in prior years could be hired so late in the season.
Rum Running
A revenue-generating project came into existence after Stag Island’s tourism sector broke down.
In January 1920, the United States Constitution’s 18th Amendment, which outlawed the manufacture, distribution, and transportation of alcoholic beverages, came into force.
Stag Island was a well-known hub for rum-running during the US Prohibition era (1920–1933), when boats transporting illicit alcohol were anchored in Canadian waters and used as “drive-up depots” for Americans looking to buy booze.
People and organizations started smuggling alcohol into the US from Canada, where it was allowed to produce and sell alcohol, in order to get around Prohibition. The rum-running trade was very profitable for some Canadian families and companies, as Canadian breweries and distilleries produced alcohol for the US market.
Other rum running spots on the St Clair River were Sarnia, Windsor and Sombra.
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