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History of the Maple Leaf

More than 140 years ago, a Union transport ship sank in the St. Johns River. Today, you can see a portion of the artifacts that were extracted from the ship on display at the Museum of Science & History and explore local Civil War history. The Maple Leaf steamer was built in Kingston, Ontario, Canada in 1851 at the Marine Railway Yard as a commercial transporter for passengers and freight on Lake Ontario. The 181-foot, wood-hulled steamer featured a large paddle wheel, two smoke stacks, and a 75-horsepower engine. The onset of the American Civil War redirected the Maple Leaf to the eastern seaboard of the United States. In 1862, the United States Army chartered the Maple Leaf and used the steamship for equipment and baggage transport.

Final Days

On March 31, 1864, the Maple Leaf arrived in Jacksonville, Fla. around 5 p.m. carrying goods for more than 1,000 soldiers. The steamer was ordered to transport 87 horses and men from Jacksonville to Palatka the same day. After fulfilling the order, the Maple Leaf headed back to Jacksonville. However, the steamship never made it back to the city. On April 1, 1864 around 4 a.m., the Maple Leaf ran into a Confederate torpedo at Mandarin Point and sank to the bottom of the St. Johns River.

Unearthing the Maple Leaf

The wreckage of Maple Leaf remained virtually undisturbed until July 1988. Divers from St. Johns Archaeological Expeditions, Inc. entered the cargo hold of the Maple Leaf for the first time and recovered in excess of 100 artifacts. In the spring of 1989, divers removed the cap rail section of the bow and brought it to the surface along with additional artifacts from the cargo hold. Some of the treasures uncovered by divers include Union soldiers’ personal belongings, U.S. Army-issued weapons, and pillaged good from southern plantation homes.

Artifacts