The Ships that Built a Community

The Walker House, located right beside Kincardine’s harbour, has a rich history deeply tied to the town’s maritime heritage. Since its earliest days, Paddy Francis Walker’s main clientele were often those arriving by ship—dockworkers looking for a drink after a long day, or immigrants who had just crossed the Atlantic, in search of a place to stay before purchasing farmland to build new lives in the area.

Paddy even owned his own schooner, The Mud Turtle, which he used to transport passengers and supplies between Goderich and Kincardine—until it tragically sank off Point Clark. Undeterred, he purchased a second vessel, naming it The Eliza Jane in honour of his wife.

Below is a photograph of a handmade model of a late 19th-century barge schooner, part of the Walker House collection. This particular type of vessel once sailed from Kincardine’s harbour across Lake Huron. Schooners like this transported all kinds of cargo—salt, iron ore, coal, grain, and even apples—playing a vital role in the development of the towns and communities that sprang up along the lake's shores.

The model was crafted by the ship’s captain, Duncan MacLeod, a Kincardine native whose parents were among the area’s early settlers. Duncan spent his entire life by the lake, sailing vessels just like this one across the waters of Lake Huron.

Captain Duncan MacLeod (1849 - 1915)

Many families in Kincardine, like the MacLeod's and the Walker's, built their livelihoods on the lake. Their stories—and the ships they sailed—are reminders of a time when the water was not just a backdrop to daily life, but the lifeblood of the community.

As summer fades and the beaches grow quiet, the harbour begins to empty of boats, preparing to retreat into winter. The cool winds return, and the lake grows restless once more. It’s in these moments—when nature reclaims its strength—that one might almost glimpse the schooners of the past: tall wooden masts swaying, sails straining against the wind, as they head out into the swells, braving the elements to keep their communities alive.