Polson Iron Works ~ Shipbuilding History

Polson Iron Works

Toronto ON

Most recent update: February 19, 2015.

Polson Iron Works began operations in 1878 as Wm. Polson & Sons, an engine builder in Cobourg, Ontario. It moved to Toronto in 1883 and was incorporated as Polson Iron Works Co. In 1886. The company expanded by building a new shipyard in Owen Sound in 1888, but this closed in 1893. The operations in Toronto continued with the construction of a large number of vessels and even more engines until finally closing in 1919. Visit the Polson web site here and see the site, which was at the southwest end of the Port Lands district, from the air on Google here.

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	O/N	Name	Customer	Type	GT	Built	Notes
Built in Toronto
	92296	Mayflower		wood tugboat	4	1885	registered 1886
	85330	Mocking Bird	E. Todd	wood yacht	38	1886	sank in Lake Winnipegosis 1901
	90570	Conqueror	C. Robertson	wood tugboat	25	1886	broken-up 1904
	90577	Vivid	F. B. Polson	wood yacht	56	1886	register closed 1910
	92439	rescue	John Hanlan	wood yacht	7	1886	register closed 1913
	92729	Devenish	John Fleming (1895)	wood yacht	3	1886
12	94801	Marion	J. C. Hays	wood sternwheeler	15	1887	assembled at Golden BC, broken up 1902
	92438	express	Josiah Bell (1895)	wood yacht	4	1887
	92445	Cora	Oliver B. Sheppard (1895)	wood yacht	4	1887
	92448	Gypsy	R. Power	wood yacht	20	1887	supply boat Muskoka Lakes 1897
	92449	Electric	J. J. Wright	comp. yacht	49	1887	burned and sank 1927
	92726	Spartan	E. B. Andros	wood yacht	2	1887
	92737	Siesta	John McRae	wood yacht	3	1888	register closed 1930
20	92734	City of Chatham	Chatham Navigation	wood passenger	341	1888	stripped and abandoned 1921
	94981	Undine	Polson Iron Works	wood yacht	17	1889	register closed 1910
	94982	Mizpah	Clark Brothers	wood ferry	18	1889	broken-up 1911
Built in Owen Sound
23	94879	Manitoba	Canadian Pacific Railway	steel pass/freight	2,616	1889	scrapped 1950
24	94763	Seguin	Parry Sound Lumber Company	Steel freighter	818	1890	later Mapleboro 1920, City of Montreal 1925, Arvida 1926, scrapped 1944
25	94885	Ontario	Canadian Pacific Railway	steel pass/freight	1,615	1890	barge 1926, foundered in Lake Superior 1927
	88538	Naiad	William E. Sanford	comp. yacht	29	1890	burned 1967
	107366	Annie C. Hill	J. Forsythe	wood yacht	14	1890	scrapped 1923
	95265	Rosedale	Hagarty & Company	lengthening	1,507	1891	lengthening, lost 1919
30	100412	Constance	Minister of Fisheries	fisheries cruiser	185	1891	to RCN 1912, sold 1921, closed 1966
31	100413	Curlew	Minister of Fisheries	fisheries cruiser	158	1892	to RCN 1912, sold 1922, closed 1937
32	103040	Petrel	Minister of Fisheries	fisheries cruiser	192	1892	to RCN 1912, sold 1923, closed 1927
Built in Toronto
	116252	Linnia	T. Croucher	wood tugboat	5	1892	scrapped 1906
	103665	Rambler	J. S. Whiting et al	comp. tugboat	26	1897	assembled at Rat Portage, wrecked 1930
	107087	Victoria	Pembroke Navigation Company	comp. passenger	188	1897	assembled at Pembroke ON, retired 1932
	107157	Burpee	Isaac Burpee	steel sternwheeler	9	1897
	112176	Espanola	Spanish River Pulp & Paper	steel tugboat	7	1897	closed 1927
		Knapp's Roller boat	Frederick Knapp	Steel freighter	nm	1897	buried in a landfill 1927
	107364	Wanda	Timothy Eaton	comp. yacht	12	1898	rebuilt 1905 as Temagami, scrapped 1926
	107159	Tyrrell	Canadian Pacific Navigation	Comp. Sternwheeler	678	1898	assembled at Vancouver, abandoned 1913
		Sparrow	Yukon & Klondike Pioneers	comp. pass/freight	49	1898	assembled at Athabaska Landing, fate unknown
38	107693	Majestic	Richelieu River Navigation	steel pass/freight	275	1899	abandoned 1942
		cutter		comp. yacht	15	1899	no trace
	75434	cruiser	F. B. Polson et al	comp. yacht	15	1899	rebuild of older vessel
	88632	Advance		comp. freighter	1031	1899	rebuild of Sir S. L. Tilley
	107599	Bobs	Parry Sound Lumber Company	steel tugboat	38	1900	wrecked 1928
43	111567	Islander	Muskoka Lakes Navigation	steel pass/freight	165	1900	assembled at Gravenhurst ON, scrapped 1958
	111820	Kootenay	G. G. Busby	steel sternwheeler	8	1900	assembled at Nelson BC, lost 1909
	111563	Bobs	George Gooderham	steel yacht	9	1900	closed 1941
	111565	Llano	Elmore Harris	wood yacht	11	1900	scrapped 1936
			Dept. of Public Works	steel pontoons	nm	1901
	111577	Ina	Wm. J. Gage	comp. yacht	12	1901	closed 1942
	150502	P.W.D. No. 305 (King Edward)	Dept. of Public Works	steel dredge	449	1901	assembled at New Westminster BC
	111803	Algoma	The Sault Ferry Company	steel ferry	157	1901	later Vercheres, scrapped 1967
		Niobe		comp. gas yacht	3	1901	no trace
	112175	Kate	H. MacDonald Mowat	comp. yacht	22	1902	closed 1969
	112179	Inenew	Hudson's Bay Company	steel lighter	109	1902	scrapped 1930
	112186	Sir Wilfred	Dept. of Public Works	steel dredge	399	1902	lost 1902, salvaged, P.W.D. 117, sank 1952
		Nakusp	Dept. of Public Works	sternwheel dredge	nm	1902	assembled at Arrow Lakes BC
		Juanita	E. Leadley	comp. yacht	10	1902	no trace
	133910	M. & F. No. 7 ( J. Israel Tarte)	Dept. of Marine & Fisheries	steel	873	1902	later Glenbuckie, then Beaver Hercules, closed 1989
	116265	Mildred	E. R. Wood	steel yacht	39	1903	suspended 2004
	116266	Rambler	Mrs. Isabel McKinnon	steel yacht	39	1903	sold 1914
	116762	Wawinet	Wm. MacKenzie	steel yacht	68	1904	sunk 1942
	116784	St. George	City of North Vancouver	steel ferry	544	1904	frame and machinery, North Vancouver No. 2, burned 1939
	116862	Alert	Upper Ottawa Improvement Co	steel tugboat	53	1904	assembled at Temiscamingue QC
63	116993	Lurcher	Ministry of Marine & Fisheries	steel lightship	396	1903	later No. 14 1912, Lightship No. 14 1949, St. Yves 1957, foundered 1980
64	116994	Anticosti	Ministry of Marine & Fisheries	steel lightship	396	1904	later No. 15 1912, Lightship No. 15 1949, deleted 1960
		St . Charles	Roman Catholic Mission	steel mission vessel	32	1904	frame and machinery, wrecked in ice 1914
	130717	St. Marie	Roman Catholic Mission	steel mission vessel	81	1904	frame and machinery, assembled at Fort Smith in 1906, sold 1914, rebuilt as Northland Trader, sank 1938
		Ariadne	J. P. Northey	comp. yacht	50	1905	rebuild of older vessel
	121843	Wanda II	T. Eaton	steel yacht	51	1905	burned 1916
	126411	Keego	Temagami Steamboat & Hotel Co.	wood yacht	23	1905
	121849	Blue Bell	Toronto Ferry Company	steel ferry	752	1906	hulked 1956
70	117070	Vigilant	Ministry of Marine & Fisheries	steel fisheries patrol	396	1904	barge 1927, scrapped 1956
	122214	City Dredge No. 2	City of Toronto	steel dredge	278	1906
	122217	Hercules	Dept. of Public Works	steel tugboat	234	1906	scrapped 1970
	125991	Pikouagami	Quebec & Lake St. John Rwy. Co.	steel tugboat	57	1906	frame and machinery, assembled at Roberval QC
	134607	P.W.D. No. 201	Dept of Public Works	steel dredge	442	1906	frame and machinery, assembled at Selkirk MB
75	121850	Armour	Maganetawan River & Lakes SB Co.	steel passenger	191	1906	frame and machinery, assembled at Burk's Falls, burned 1928
	134187	P.W.D. No. 5 (Northumberland)	Dept. of Public Works	steel dredge	797	1906
		P.W.D. No. 103	Dept. of Public Works	steel dump scow		1907
		P.W.D. No. 104	Dept. of Public Works	steel dump scow		1907
	107424	Morning Star	Sir Clifford Sifton	steel yacht	72	1907	sank 1947
	122480	Loretta	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel tugboat	75	1907	broken-up 1960
	122564	Bessie Butler	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel tugboat	77	1907	abandoned 1950
	125972	Roberval	La Cie Le Nord	Steel freighter	344	1907	foundered near Oswego 1916
83	125975	Charles Lyon	Canadian Pacific Car & passenger	steel ferry	1,658	1908	split into two barges 1936, scrapped 1941
	130896	Dredge P.W.D. No. 301	Dept. of Public Works	steel dredge	538	1908	frame and machinery, assembled at New Westminster BC
	138413	Ruby	Dept. of Public Works	comp. tugboat	19	1908	later Hecla 1916
	126270	Erl King	Frank Simpson Contracting Co.	comp. tugboat	46	1909	later R.C. Co. No. 4, broken up 1958
	126835	Ella Mary	Charles J. Gibson	steel ferry	42	1910	later Bigwin, under restoration
88	125978	City Dredge No. 3	City of Toronto	steel dredge	412	1908
	130921	H.C.M. No. 5	Montreal Harbour Commission	steel dredge	498	1910
90	134545	Aylmer	Dept. of Public Works	comp. tugboat	16	1910
	122295	George V	City of Prince Albert	steel sternwheeler	105	1911	assembled at Prince Albert SA, wrecked 1916
	126671	Shuniah	Great Lakes Dredging Co.	steel dredge	759	1910	closed 1992
93			Great Lakes Dredging Co.	steel pontoons	nm	1910
94	126833	Trillium	Toronto Ferry Co Ltd, Toronto	steel ferry	673	1910
			City of Toronto	lifeboat		1911
96	131086	Drill Boat No. 6	John E. Russell	steel drill barge	289	1912	later McNco No. 6, sank 1972
97	130555	Bonnington	Canadian Pacific Railway Co.	steel sternwheeler	1700	1911	assembled at Nakusp BC, launched April 1913, scrapped 1946
	130325	Buena Vista	Davis Dry Dock Co.	steel passenger	144	1911	frame and machinery, assembled at Kingston ON, Maisonneuve, retired 1934
	131134	Batchawana	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel tugboat	52	1912
100	134036	transferred No. 5	Canadian Pacific Railway Co.	barge	681	1912	assembled at Nelson BC
101	130313	G.R. Greary	City of Toronto	steel tugboat	199	1912	scrapped 1972
102		St. Gabriel	Roman Catholic Church	steel sidewheel mission boat	10	1912	frame and machinery, assembled at Fort Resolution NWT, wrecked in ice 1920
103		St. Joseph	Roman Catholic Church	steel sidewheel mission boat	11	1912	frame and machinery, assembled at Fort Resolution NWT
104			Anglican Church Mission	steel propeller mission boat		1912	frame and steam machinery
105	130318	Kwasind	Royal Canadian Yacht Club	steel yacht	47	1912
106	134258	Sir Hector	Dept. of Public Works	steel tugboat	134	1912	frame and machinery, assembled at Selkirk MB, Vaughan, scrapped 1937
	131137	Fredericton	Dept. of Public Works	steel tugboat	109	1913
	133745	Port Nelson	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel dredge	1,123	1913	wrecked 1945
109		St. Emelie	Roman Catholic Church	steel propeller mission boat	19	1914	frame and machinery, assembled at Fort Chipewyan NWT
	134248	Hudson Bay Terminals Lighter No. 1	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel lighter	268	1914	foundered in Hudson's Bay 1933
	134249	Hudson Bay Terminals Lighter No. 2	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel lighter	268	1914	closed 1941
	134441	Hudson Bay Terminals Lighter No. 3	Dept. of Railways & Canals	steel lighter	268	1914	closed 1934
	134442	Q.H.C. No. 51	Quebec Harbour Commission	steel dump scow	236	1914	later Rock Queen, closed 2000
	134443	Q.H.C. No. 52	Quebec Harbour Commission	steel dump scow	240	1914
	134444	Q.H.C. No. 53	Quebec Harbour Commission	steel dump scow	240	1914	closed 2003
	134445	Q.H.C. No. 54	Quebec Harbour Commission	steel dump scow	434	1914	closed 2003
	134446	Q.H.C. No. 55	Quebec Harbour Commission	steel dump scow	434	1914	later C.D. 155
	134447	Q.H.C. No. 56	Quebec Harbour Commission	steel dump scow	434	1914	closed 2003
119	134547	Grenville	Dept. of Marine & Fisheries	Steel Buoy tender	497	1915	wrecked in ice and scrapped 1969
	134451	Cyclone	Canadian Stewart Co.	steel dredge	911	1914
	137895	Tornado	Canadian Stewart Co.	steel dredge	911	1914
122	134455	Seventy Five	Canadian Stewart Co.	steel derrick scow	405	1914	sold 1918
		Nelson	Dept. of Railway & Canals	steel sternwheel tugboat	nm	1914	assembled at Churchill MB, lost shortly after delivery
	151109	C.S.B.D. & C. Co. Derrick No. 1	C.S.Boon Dredging Co.	steel derrick scow	70	1914
	138623	Komba (rebuilda)	Roman Catholic Church	steel mission vessel	17	1915	frame and machinery, assembled at Hay River NWT
126	137978	Ontario No.2	Ontario Car Ferry Co Ltd	steel train ferry	5,568	1915	scrapped 1952
127	137902	Wanda III	T. Eaton	steel yacht	60	1915	later a museum vessel
128		Patricia	Hudsons Bay Co.	comp. tugboat		1915	no further trace
129			Hudsons Bay Co.	comp. lighter		1915	no further trace
130			Hudsons Bay Co.	comp. lighter		1915	no further trace
131			Hudsons Bay Co.	comp. lighter		1915	no further trace
132			Hudsons Bay Co.	comp. lighter		1915	no further trace
133	142642	Tento	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,316	1918	later Toyo Maru No. 5 1928, torpedoed and lost 1944
134	142746	Asp	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,234	1918	later Francisca 1921, Capo Mele 1928, Etiopia 1936, bombed and lost off Tobruk 1942
135	140922	Festubert	Canadian Naval Service	steel minesweeper	320	1917	later Inverleigh 1947, scuttled 1971
136	140923	Ypres	Canadian Naval Service	steel minesweeper	320	1917	collision and sank 1940
137	140924	Messines	Canadian Naval Service	steel minesweeper	320	1917	later Lightship No. 3 1920, scrapped 1962
138	140925	St. Eloi	Canadian Naval Service	steel minesweeper	320	1917	later Lightship No. 20 1920, scrapped 1962
139	140926	St. Julien	Canadian Naval Service	steel minesweeper	320	1917	later Lightship No. 21 1920, sold as Centennial 1958
140	140927	Vimy	Canadian Naval Service	steel minesweeper	320	1917	later Lightship No. 22 1920, scrapped 1958
141		TR-15	Royal Navy	steel minesweeper	275	1918	sold 1920 as Jacqueline, captured 1940, designated M-3630, M-3830, sunk by bombing 1943 but salvaged
142		TR-16	Royal Navy	steel minesweeper	275	1918	to Mexico as Salinas 1920, Acapulco
143		TR-17	Royal Navy	steel minesweeper	275	1918	later Jeanne 1920
144		TR-18	Royal Navy	steel minesweeper	275	1918	later Marie Louise 1921
145	141364	War Hydra	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,251	1919	later Baffin 1919, Franquette 1920, Capo Noli 1926, Marcantonio Bragadin 1935, Nina Bianchi 1939, in collision and lost 1940
146	143211	War Taurus	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,240	1919	later Cormount 1920, Femund 1024, Rendal 1928, Einvik 1934, sunk by gunfire 1941
147	143380	War Timiskaming	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,085	1919	later Oise 1919, Kotkas 1929, Farida 1941, Nidaros 1946, Kien Yuan 1948, in collision and sank 1949
148	141369	Aquila/War Hamilton	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,251	1919	later Belchers 1919, Koryu Maru 1927, bombed and lost 1944
149	143824	War Algoma	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,212	1919	later Nina 1920, mined and lost off Genoa 1944
150	143934	War Halton	The Shipping Controller	Steel freighter	2,096	1919	later Saint Tropez 1919, Latymer 1937, bombed and lost 1940