Minnehaha

A wooden ship built in 1860 under special survey by John McMorran & James L. Dunn at Courtenay Bay, Saint John, NB, at a cost of $72,000. Her dimensions were: 183'2×37'5×23'0 and tonnage: 1067 NRT, 1127 GRT and 1000 under deck. Built with two decks.

1860 July: Launched at the shipyard of John McMorran & James L. Dunn at Courtenay Bay, Saint John, NB, for Bartholomew H. McCorkell & Co., Londonderry, Ireland.
1864: Sailed from New York to Derry in 16 days.
1866: Withdrawn from the emmigrant trade and was put on the trans-Atlantic timber trade.
1874: Reduced to barque rig.
(1879-1900): Owned by B.M. McCorkell, Londonderry
1896: Sold to A.C. Olsen, Sandefjord, Norway, and was renamed Laura. The master was Hans Jørgen Pettersen.
1903 November 5: The last trace of this ship was off the coast of Ireland and 'in tow' on Nov. 5th 1903, according to the New York Maritime Register dated Dec. 1903.
1903: Stranded.

There is a photograph of the Minnehaha in the Albert Barnes Photo collection, Newport News Museum.

under the command of Hans Jorgen Pettersen. 
Vessel Name:  LAURA    Ex-MINNEHAHA
Rig:   Bark
Construction: Wood  2-decks
Master:  H. Pettersen
Gross Tonnage: 1104
Under Deck Tonnage: 1000
Net Tonnage:  1043
Built:  1860 by Mc Morrin at St. John, NB
Owner:  A. C. Olsen
Length:  183.2
Breadth:  37.5
Depth:  23.0
Port of Registry: Sandefjord, Norway
Flag:  Norwegian

(Reference: Lloyd's Registry of Shipping 1900)
Lloyd's Register 1865-66
Built under special survey.
Ship
Master: McGrath
1127 tons; 183'2x37'5x23'0;
Owners: McCorkll&, Londonderry
7A1; 4, 61
F.&YM.61ptI.B.

Lloyd's Register 1879-80
No. 18185; Signal: MKSG; Bk
1067 NRT; 1127 GRT; 1000 under deck; P. 100 tons
Owners: B.M. McCorkell, Londonderry
No Character assigned

Not listed in 1870 & 1872

Ester Clark Wright: Saint John Ships and Their Builders
Built by John McMorran & James L. Dunn at Courtenay Bay, Saint John.
Converted to a barque in 1874.
Sold to Norway and renamed Laura.

Bartholomew McCorkell & Co., Londonderry
Commanded by Captain William McLaughlin her later Londonderry years.
The last two vessels to be built for the passenger trade . . . 

Lloyds's Register 1889-90
Barque; 1072 NRT; 1105 GRT; 1000 under deck; P100tns
Master: Boggs 72-80; Built: 1860 7mo; Owners: B.H. McCorkell, Lodonderry
No character assigned

Wallace: (...), p 108.
In 1869, the barque Minnehaha, 1043 tons, was built at St. John, at a
cost of $72,000. When she was hauled out at Cardiff in October 1897, and her
old metal sheathing removed to be replaced with a new course of copper, it was
found that her hull was in as good condition as when it first touched the
water. The Minnehahah was afloat in 1905 and renamed Laura by
her Norwegian owners. She was then 36 years old.

Esther Clark Wright, in ‚Saint John Ships and Their Builders' wrote...

MINNEHAHA (later LAURA) was launched as a ship in 1860 by McMorran & Dunn
at Saint John, New Brunswick, tonnage 1127,... Went to Londonderry,
Ireland by Govt. permit (not registered) in 1860's.  (Ref:page 188).



        The _Laura_ (formerly the _Minnehaha_)


Vessel Name:    The _Laura_ was owned by A.C. Olsen (of Oslo?) -
Former Name:    The _Minnehaha_
Rig:            Bark
Const.:         Wood (spruce) 2 decks.
Master:         * H. Pettersen *
Gross Tng.      1104
Unr.dck.tng.    1000
Net tng.        1043
Built:          1860 by McMorrin (& Dunn?) at St. John, NB
Length:         183.2
Breath:         37.5
Depth:          23.0
P.O.R.:         Sandefjord, Norway
Flag:           Norwegian


The last trace of this ship was off the coast of Ireland and 'in tow' on
Nov. 5th 1903, according to the New York Maritime Register dated Dec.
1903.

Norman also pointed me to the Newport News Museum and the Albert Barnes
Photo collection.  The ex-_Minnehaha_ / _Laura_ is among the collection!

And Norman also hinted at a possible painting somewhere?

Updated 1995-09-13 by Lars Bruzelius

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