ALLIGATORS OF THE NORTH
Illustration produced by Robert Judd Design Co. for
the launch of the W.D. Stalker in Simcoe, Ontario.
Robert Judd Design Co., Waterford, Ontario.
ALLIGATORS OF THE NORTH
The Story of the West & Peachey Steam Warping Tugs
Harry B. Barrett & Clarence F. Coons
Foreword by Ken Armson, R.P.F.
NATURAL HERITAGE BOOKS
A MEMBER OF THE DUNDURN GROUP
TORONTO
Copyright © 2010 Harry B. Barrett & Clarence F. Coons
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanic, photocopying or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.
Published by Natural Heritage Books
A Member of The Dundurn Group
3 Church Street, Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1M2, Canada
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Barrett, Harry B., 1922-
Alligators of the north : the story of the West and
Peachey steam warping tugs / by Harry B. Barrett and
Clarence F. Coons.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-55488-711-8
1. Tugboats—Ontario—History. 2. Steamboats—Ontario—
History. 3. Logging—Ontario—History. 4. West, John.
5. Peachey, James. I. Coons, C. F. II. Title.
VM464.B374 2010 386'.223209713 C2009-907456-7
Front cover: Tom Thomson, “The Alligator,” Algonquin Park, 1914 (oil on book binder’s board) Gift of Stewart and Letty Bennett, donated by the Ontario Heritage Foundation to the University of Guelph, 1989; University of Guelph Collection at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre (Ontario, Canada) – UG1989.096.
Back cover: Tom Thomson, “The Drive,” circa 1916 (oil on canvas) Ontario Agricultural College purchase with funds raised by students, faculty, and staff, 1926; University of Guelph Collection at the Macdonald Stewart Art Centre (Ontario, Canada) – UG1926.134.
Evan Caldwell, “Dead Alligator,” – Courtesy of The Forest Chronicle, Vol. 68, No. 5 (October 1992), cover; and with the permission of Chris Lee, owner.
Text design by Beth Crane, WeMakeBooks.ca
Edited by Jane Gibson
Copy edited by Shannon Whibbs
Printed and bound in Canada by Marquis
Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.
J. Kirk Howard, President
We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books and the Government of Canada through the Ontario Book Publishers Tax Credit Program and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
Contents
Foreword by Ken Armson, R.P.F
Introduction by Dave Lemkay
Chapter 2 The West Family in Norfolk County
Chapter 3 The West & Peachey Partnership, 1878
Chapter 4 The Lumber Trade in Norfolk Moves On
Chapter 5 Joseph Jackson and the Warping Tug
Chapter 6 John West’s Other Interests
Chapter 7 Evolution of the Alligator Warping Tug
Chapter 8 Alligator-Operated Portable Sawmills and Other Ventures
Chapter 9 The Gilmour Dynasty: Their Tramway and the Alligator
Chapter 10 Steamboats for South America
Chapter 11 The Diverse Enterprises of West & Peachey, 1897–99
Chapter 12 West & Peachey Enter the Twentieth Century
Chapter 13 The Alligator Warping Tug in Newfoundland
Chapter 14 Turn-of-the-Century Improvements and Modifications
Chapter 15 The Story of the Cavendish Lumber Company’s Alligator Tugs
Chapter 16 The Role of the Alligator in the Ottawa Valley
Chapter 17 John R. Booth: A Distinguished Ottawa River Client
Chapter 18 Timber Operations in Northwestern Ontario
Chapter 19 Some Alligator Accidents Over the Years
Chapter 20 Technical and Operational Details in the Construction of Alligators
Chapter 21 The Alligator Warping Tug’s Steam Engines
Chapter 22 The End of a Dynasty
Chapter 23 The Russel