The scrapping of the steamship J. B. Ford was well underway from January 2022 up to August 2022. Towards the end of August the bow section was no longer in the slip and the once historic vessel remained scattered in pieces. These were further separated by metal type mainly cast iron and steel.
The November 12th 2022 Gales of November fundraising event included four items from the vessel donated for silent auction. These included a soap dish, tooth brush holder, coat rack, and a pack of stationary. A fortunate collector won these for $35.00. This website was also promoted at Gales of November with a new focus of promoting the two books on the J. B. Ford. The vessel may be gone, but these books tell her story and document her for those interested in lake freighters from a transitional time period of wooden hulls to steel ones and from sail power to steam power. These books may also prove helpful to divers exploring similar protected shipwrecks on the bottom.
https://www.blurb.com/b/10629769-steamship-j-b-ford-vessel-surveyor-photos-2013
In closing what is next? Well the steam whistle is located at Harsens Island Historical Society(https://harsensislandhistory.org/). Guest may salute passing lake freighters and hear a voice from maritime past. The one name board is on display at Buffalo Harbor Museum in Buffalo, N. Y. They also have a collection of photographs of the vessel when she was wintering in Buffalo both as the J. B. Ford as well as the E. C. Collins. Old Man Boiler works work orders from the 1960’s may also be researched here, The Milwaukee Public Library has historic photographs as well as two E. C. Collins log books. Lafarge North America may also still have some artifacts saved from the vessel in Alpena, Michigan? It has only been reported they loaned some items in 2006 to the Bessmer museum(https://www.bessermuseum.org/). This mainly included the Starboard lifeboat.
