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Vessel

James E. Sanford

Also James B. Sanford · Sanford

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

TypeVessel
RigPassenger and freight steamer
ErasModern era
On this page
A black-and-white photograph of the steamer James E. Sanford viewed from astern on open water. Her transom reads JAMES E. SANFORD above CHARLEVOIX. Several figures stand at the after rail beneath a tall black funnel, with davits and a ship's boat on the deck above and an ensign flying.
Vessel
Rig
Passenger and freight steamer
Eras
Modern era
Concepts
maritimeshippingheritage
Media
The steamer James E. Sanford off Charlevoix

Summary

The James E. Sanford was a passenger and freight steamer serving the Charlevoix–Saint James/Beaver Island route. In April 1926 Captain James E. Sanford sold it to Captain John N. Chambers and Thomas G. Chambers, with the government mail contract included through June 30, 1927. A 1929 death notice calls the same mail boat James B. Sanford and names its engineer, Harry Moore.

Evidence and limits

The 1926 notices do not give the vessel’s dimensions, registry, builder, or complete operating chronology. The 1929 notice’s “B” conflicts with the two 1926 “E” notices and the 1968 retrospective; it is retained as an alternate source form rather than silently corrected. The sale notices say “Monday” but do not support one unambiguous calendar date, so the event date remains blank.

Open questions

  • Which enrollment or inspection record identifies the vessel and resolves its name form?
  • When did James E. Sanford enter service, and what happened to the vessel after the 1929 mail-boat notice?
  • Can the government mail-contract record establish the full ownership and operating sequence?

See also

Sources

  1. Charlevoix County Herald, April 9, 1926, report of the James E. Sanford sale.
    Reports that James E. Sanford sold his passenger and freight steamer to Captain John N. Chambers, with Thomas G. Chambers associated in the purchase. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
    charlevoix · Charlevoix_County_Herald_1926-04-09
  2. Charlevoix County Herald, April 16, 1926, report of the James E. Sanford sale.
    Reports the sale, identifies the Charlevoix–Saint James government mail contract through June 30, 1927, and says the new owners would make side trips in addition to the regular island run. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
    charlevoix · Charlevoix_County_Herald_1926-04-16
  3. Charlevoix Courier, 1968, historical ferry-service retrospective.
    Lists the James E. Sanford among vessels making regular mail, freight, and passenger trips between Charlevoix and Beaver Island from about 1890 onward; the retrospective does not resolve the vessel name or service chronology. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
    charlevoix · charlevoixcourie1968unse
  4. Charlevoix County Herald, October 25, 1929, notice of Harry Moore’s death.
    Calls the Charlevoix–Beaver Island mail boat James B. Sanford and identifies Harry Moore as its engineer; the B/E difference is preserved as a source variant. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
    charlevoix · Charlevoix_County_Herald_1929-10-25

Added 1 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “James E. Sanford”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/vessels/james-e-sanford/, accessed [date], citing Charlevoix County Herald, April 9, 1926, report of the James E. Sanford sale. (and 3 further sources listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-01. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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