In 1845 Mrs. Alexander Muir settled in the frame house on Queen Street (now Dalhousie Avenue). The year before Alexander had laid a board sidewalk in front—the first in town. He was still sailing the lakes but spent the winters in Port Dalhousie. With his experience and prudent regard for the future he developed the idea of a floating dry dock and began construction in 1850, shortly before the completion of the Second Welland Canal. He was joined by his brother William and later his three other brothers Bryce, David and Archibald.

As a sailor he had observed the need for a dry dock. Often times upon entering Shickluna's shipyard it had been necessary to wait while other ships secured repairs. He hoped to alleviate this problem and create a successful enterprise in the settlement.

He constructed his dry dock on the east side of the canal near where the Welland Railway depot was later built. It was then launched and towed to the north of the canal at the site later occupied by the permanent dry dock. Attempts at securing water privileges from the government met with little success and the dock, built with two large pumps, had to be de-watered by horse driven capstan. Muir hoped to build a ditch from the pond to the lake for this purpose.

It was not until two years later and with the assistance of W.H. Merritt that Muir was granted permission to build his passage. Not only was it a marine service which was much needed, but it would also provide employment for many. Despite the rumours circulated by another shipbuilder to the effect that the floating dry dock would topple, Muir successfully docked his first craft the "Robert Woods" of Oswego. It was the birth of an enterprise which would be largely responsible for the development of Port Dalhousie.

As their interests had grown to include ship building, they constructed a pile driver and started to form a plane. With the use of horses and wheelbarrows they began putting the earth from the banks alongside the dry dock into the water, thus creating land on which to build their ships. Later they discovered that there was a question as to the ownership of the newly formed land. But upon judicial examination the situation was resolved in their favour, and they continued to build an industry which would survive through many changes.

In 1853 they began building their first ship, while they were operating the floating dry dock. She was launched on Mrch 3, 1855 as the "AYR" named after the shire in Scotland where they had lived. She was launched sideways as the shipyard was only a narrow piece of land along the foot of a hich bank. This floating dry dock operated until a permanent dry dock was built in1863.

For many years after building the "AYR" the brothers built a ship a year, all of which they owned and operated. They built the "Alexander", "Arctic", "Niagara", "Acorn", "Advance", "Asia", "Albatross", "Albacore", "Antelope", "A. Muir", and the tug, "Sam Perry". They soon had a fleet of schooners, brigs, and barges on the canal which carried timber and grain. These vessels which were sailed by Alexander's brothers, also journeyed to England, Ireland and Scotland.

Canallers tied up for the winter and repairs.

The passenger ship "GEORGIAN"

The Muir Dry Dock, was managed by Charles A. Ansell until 1946 when he began operating a ship repair facility at Port Weller. The dry dock was sold and the name changed to Port Dalhousie Shipyards. It was later purchased by Gayport Shipping and then by the Port Weller Dry Dock Limited in 1953. Barges and tugs were built, and the shipyard was capable of docking and repairing vessels 260 feet in length. It was gradually phased out as the ships continued to grow in size.
The ground floor of Dalhousie House at one time contained the store and supply office for the shipyard, and the manager's office was situated on the second floor. The building next to Dalhousie House contained the blacksmith, carpenter and machine shops, the mould loft and business office.

The canoe livery in the foreground

"COALFAX" in for repairs

A hard winter for this little Tug

This industry absorbed the excess labour force as many villagers found employment either at the shipyard or on the sailing vessels.
The permanent dry dock was built of stone and wood next to the floating one. In the fall of 1867 it was completed and the business as well as the town continued to prosper as an endless stream of vessels approached the dock for repairs. About this time the shipyard was contracted to lengthen, by 40 feet, six or seven Lake boats as the new canal could handle longer ships.

While the Muir brothers were building their dry dock and establishing a shipyard, Port Dalhousie was undergoing a series of instrumental developments. In 1846 a telegraph line was constructed from Port Dalhousie along the canal to Port Colborne opening communications.

In 1859, John and Robert Lawrie, early settlers, built a small flour and grist mill near the weir. It was destroyed by fire in 1898. Sylvester Neelon also had a mill which was nearby.

Wintering at Muir Bros. in 1938

Ship-breaking became a familiar sight at Muir Bros.

From The Standard " Glimpses into our Past" Series

A laker's days end as scrap

Ship-breaking is common these days in the southern end of the Niagara Peninsula. Two scrapyards devoted to cutting up lake vessels operate at Port Colborne while a third is located at Port Maitland.
However, for many years the demolition of obsolete lake carriers was a common occurance on the northern end of the Henley Course in Port Dalhousie.

With the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, the smaller lake vessels originally built to navisate the short and
shallow St. Lawrence River locks ceased to exist. One by one, they went to the ship-breakers.

Many wound up at Port Dalhousie and the old Muir Brothers yard. Gutted of everything from their engines and their wood panelling to their brass and bunks, the old ships were reduced to sheets of steel for melting down.

Among some of the more familiar Manitoulin, shown here.
Built in 1929 as the Imari, this Quebec and Ontario Transportation Co. pulpwood, grain and coal carrier was retired from service in 1960, A year later, she was scrapped at Port Dalhousie.

Series photo No. 276 from The Standard's historical files, with background from E. B. (Skip) Gillham.

The all-purpose crane barge "HANDY BOY"

1946

Tugs at Muir Bros.

April 7, 1947

Tanker "TRANSTREAM" May 8, 1942

Ships Built, Repaired and Wintered at Muir Bros.

Built

ANTELOPE (C. 7563l). Wooden two-masted schooner built 1873 at Port Dalhousie by Muir Bros. for operation by their own fleet in the timber trade. 138.6 x 26.3 x 11.4. Net 334. Later cut down to a tow-barge, she was again schooner rigged in the late 1890's and ran the coal trade into Toronto. In the early 1900's she was laid to rest in Muir's Pond above Lock 1 at Port Dalhousie. Some years later she was resurrected by Haney & Miller and in 1914 was owned by Point Anne Quarries' Ltd., being operated as a barge on their stone run to Toronto. Out of documentation by 1918. It is believed that her bones lie somewhere in the Port Credit area.

A. MUIR (C. 72714). Wooden two-masted schooner built 1874 at Port Dalhousie by Muir Bros. for operation by their own fleet in the timber trade. 138.4 x 23.9 x 11.4. Net 330. Very little is known about her early years but by the early 1900's she also had joined the other disused hulls in Muir's Pond at Port Dalhousie. Later brought out by Haney & Miller for use as a barge in the Point Anne Quarries Ltd. stone trade. Still in documentation in 1918, she may have ended her days in the Bay of Quinte.

Repaired

BLUE CROSS (59), (a) RED HEAD (34), (c) LAKE TRANSPORT (I)(67), (d) CONGAR (I)(69), (e) ONG (70), (f) WINOC. (C.154909). Steel dry bulk cargo barge built 1930 at Montreal by Canadian Vickers Ltd., Hull 112. 254.7 x 43.5 x 19.0, Net 1524. Built for Red Barge Lines Ltd., Sorel, a subsidiary of North American Elevators Ltd. and affiliated with Sin-Mac Lines Ltd., Montreal. Sold early 1934 to Burdette Clark's Blue Line Motorships Ltd., Montreal, and rebuilt as a twin screw diesel bulk carrier at Port Dalhousie by Muir Bros. Dry Dock Ltd., 1934. Gross 1786, Net 1405. Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence Transportation Co. Ltd., Toronto, became interested in Blue Line in autumn 1934 and bought out Clark's interest in 1935. Blue Line Motorships absorbed by Upper Lakes & St. Lawrence 1940. Converted to tanker 1940 by Muir Bros. at Port Dalhousie. Chartered to Shell 1940-42 and purchased by Shell 1942. Sold 1946 to Heathdale Agencies Ltd., Toronto, and operated under charter to British American Oil Co. Ltd., Toronto, in conjunction with Gayport Shipping Co. Ltd., Montreal. Sold 1959 to Hall Corporation of Canada Ltd. Operated 196l-63 under charter to Husky Oil Canada Ltd. After several years of idleness, sold 1966 to Johnstone Shipping Ltd., Toronto, and returned to service 1967. Sold November 1969 to Natomas of Canada Ltd., Hamilton, Ont., for service as an offshore bunkering tanker at Antigua.

On July 26, 1943 the COASTAL CLIFF under the name a) BRUCE HUDSON caught fire while loading gasoline at East Chicago, IL and four persons lost their lives. She proceeded under her own power on August 10, 1943 to Muir Bros. at Port Dalhousie, Ont. for repairs.

Wintered

Fresh from a spring drydocking, EASTERN SHELL (I) is on Muir's Pond, Port Dalhousie, approaching Lock One. April 10, 1965 photo by J. H. Bascom.