The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

schooners of 200 tons each. These were the Alice B. and Owen Bearse. It was said that at this time Cleveland shipbuilders were forced to actually turn down contracts because of a scarcity of "artisans and laborers."66 The Civil War was taking its toll. This was particularly unfortunate to the builders as grain prices continued their upward climb in 1863. William Stevenson apparently left the Lafrinnier firm in 1863 as newspaper accounts of the launching of the Hanna propeller Lac La Belle in 1864 refers only to Lafrinnier. Newspaper accounts in 1865 refer to the "Lafrinnier Brothers," and by 1868, in an account of the launching of the propeller Nashua, a reference is made to Frank Quayle and Lewis Lafrinnier.67 Then in 1872, the Leader says: The shipbuilding interest of Cleveland is not dead as long as firms such as Ira Lafrinnier and Company are in existence. This company is engaged in building one of the finest propellers ever to be launched in these waters. The keel is 212 feet long; the vessel has a 38 foot beam and a 13-1/2 foot hold. The cost is estimated at $85,000…68 However, by December 1875, in reference to a contract for building the schooner Samuel H. Foster, L. Lafrinnier is mentioned. Finally, in 1875, Lewis Lafrinnier built the tug Philan L. Johnson. Either this or the tug Effie L. were the last vessels built by the Lafrinniers. It appears that William R. Radcliffe entered the Lafrinnier story at this time, for they built the tug Triad in 1875. Radcliffe took over complete control of the Lafrinnier interests about 1878 when he and Stephen F. Langell enlarged their facilities. The last prominent builder during the heyday of the wooden shipbuilding era in Cleveland was Roderick Caulkins. His yard was on Whiskey Island, facing the Old River Bed, very near the junction with the main river. Apparently his first vessel was the propeller Oneida, in 1846. He also built the propellers Niagara (1849) and Owego (1853), the tugs Mars (1855) and L. L. Lyons (1857), the schooners Consuelo (1851), Phalarope (1854), William Case (1855), Summit (1856), Kate Richmond (1857), and Flight (1857), brig Isabella (1848), and bark H. E. Howe (1858). The new barque H. E. Howe was towed from the old river bed into the river yesterday preparatory to its trip to Detroit tonight. Capt. William. B. Stoddart will be in command. The vessel has been chartered by A. H. Barney and Capt. D. C. Pierce, at a cost of $4,000, for a trip to Liverpool. Mr. Calkins, the builder, will accompany them for the purpose of trying to sell the vessel in Europe.69 43