Russel Brothers Ltd. BUILDERS OF STEEL BOATS & ENGINES FORT FRANCES, 1907-1937       OWEN SOUND, 1937-1993 Russel Vessel Listing An alphabetical listing of most of the 1300 or more boats and craft that Russel Brothers constructed. Famous Russel Boats The back of the Canadian $1 Dollar Bill, the Maids of the Mist, the Atomic and Toronto's fireboat. Russel Brothers Company History A six page detailed account with period photographs, by Eric M. Cordrey, and more. Russel-Hipwell News & Product Brochures Company produced magazines, product literature, and 1 and 2 page ads. Logging Boat Operation Videos and explanations of how winch boats & warping tugs moved huge log booms to the mill. Russel Boat Photo Collections Collections of photos of Russel boats & ships from more than thirty separate sources. Russel Designs & Blueprints and detailed schematics. Inside Russel Bros. Photos of Factory & Employees. Russel Hull Number Index ordered by year of build. 1987 Video Interview with Tom & Fred Russel Archive search...Type your query text: Russel boats were important. They were the first company in North America to electrically arc-weld all steel hulls. A Russel design was adopted by the British (and Canadian) Navy as its main class of small harbour tug (the "Ville" class). Their logging boats were designed robustly for prolonged heavy use in remote areas, and pretty much defined this genre (the winch boats and warping tugs). This well deserved reputation for quality and value carried over into their larger tugboats and later Coast Guard ships. Russel innovative expertise was recognized when Niagara Falls needed two Maids of the Mist in 1955, and Toronto needed a fireboat in 1964, both of which are still in use today! The company exported boats into Canada's north, and internationally to Vietnam and Africa. They became masters of shipping boats in sections on rail cars and re-assembling them at the final destination. Though by no means the only activity of this eclectic and vibrant company, the boats are the focus of this unofficial archive. 2007 marks the 100th Anniversary of the company's start in Fort Frances, Ont. in 1907, and the 70th Anniversary of their move to Owen Sound, Ont. in 1937.   Interesting Features   1920's ERA RUSSEL ALLIGATOR   Discovered near Timmins, being restored for Marten River Provincial Park. RUSSEL BROTHERS FORT FRANCES LEGACY   A comprehensive overview by Arden Erickson Barnes. NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS   Ads and articles from the 1930's and 1940s, collected by Robert B. Farrow. NAVY TUGS: VILLE, TANAC AND GLEN CLASSES   Photos and specs for each, and factory views. REMEMBERING THE HALLETT   2003 article by ex Hallett deckhand Larry Fontana of Fort Frances. TUGS FOR VIETNAM AND AFRICA   Ten Tropical River Tugs for Saigon in 1947, more for Cameroon. LAKE ERIE OIL AND THE TRANSLAKE III TRAGEDY   Capsize & fatality, 1958, by Gerry Ouderkirk. LIST OF RUSSEL BOAT TYPES PRODUCED 1950 -1964   A yearly non-specific list by M. E. Croft. RECONSTRUCTION OF RUSSEL BOATS   Scow HBC 300 and tug Rupert River c. 1962 by Ted Eldred. RUSSEL SAILBOATS   Russel Brothers experimented with building aluminum racing yawls in the 1960's. LOG BOOM JUMPING   Getting in & out of the boom in 1973. These boats were built tough, by Yves Cloutier. HALLETT 1975 RUSSEL VALUATION   Originally $43,870 in 1940, valued by E.M. Cordrey at $70,000 in 1975. QUEBEC LOGGING USING RUSSEL TUGS   Working with Russels in La Mauricie about 1980, by Yves Cloutier. 64 YEARS OF THE RAPIDE DES COEURS ON THE ST. MAURICE RIVER   and yes, still working in 2007! REBUILDING AN 80' RUSSEL TUG   Tug Glenmont becomes cruise ship Carolina Borealis, by Gerry Ouderkirk. RESTORING A RUSSEL WARPING TUG   Emma Morgan by Nick Finazzo of Pier 500 Marina, Wyandotte, MI. RESTORING A RUSSEL WINCH BOAT   P. P. M. 4 is still in active service with S. C. Richardson and Sons. SINKINGS AND RAISINGS OF RUSSEL BOATS   Interesting photographs, clippings & read a TSB report. RAISING AND SINKING A RUSSEL WINCH BOAT   L. O. 2 used as a diving attraction in Wakefield, QC. THE CAR FERRY QUINTE   Toronto Marine Historical Society Ship of the Month #300, by Gerry Ouderkirk. THE LAST RIVER DRIVE IN CANADA   included Russel boats, and occurred in Kapuskasing, Ont., 1994. WM LYON MACKENZIE   Modeller Gerry George's exhaustive 2004 photo documention of Toronto's fireboat. THE FIRST AND LAST OWEN SOUND RUSSEL BOATS   1938's Bluefin & finally 1974's Beaver's Helper. MODELS OF RUSSEL BOATS   Joe Fossey and Roger Hauka's R/C Villes, and others from several artisans. LOCATIONS OF RUSSEL HULLS   Russels in Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, maps from Robert B. Farrow. RUSSEL DESKTOP WALLPAPERS   Russels for the digital age! 1024 x 768 pixel Russel boats for desktops. Thank you's and acknowledgements   Partial list of the many (some tireless) contributors to this archive.

The Owen Sound Dollar Bill Photo Mosaic is located off main street (2nd Ave. East) between 8th and 9th streets, on the wall of Shopper's Discount Clothing Co., across from its main sponsor, Scotiabank.
The two logging boats featured on the reverse of the dollar bill were made in Owen Sound by Russel Brothers. The larger Missinaibi is now in the Museum of Civilization in Hull, QC, while the smaller Ancaster is displayed outside the
Owen Sound Marine & Rail Museum at 1165 1st Ave West. Click here for more on the Dollar Bill.

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