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Mason County History CompanionOld Places Familiar Faces |
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Would you like to help transcribe or collect information? Mail to: Dave Petersen
UPDATE 91
CARFERRY SUPPLEMENT A
Pg A-1
Iced over badger color photo by Todd Reed
Article Iron Horses Wooden Ships
Photo of Frank Canfield w/ PM 2,3,15,4 in tow
Pg A-2
We Wish to Thank;
Photo by Russ Miller Badger, Spartan,
Article M-WT, PM, C&O It’s all the same
Pg A-3
If That’s the key word for future of MWT article Paul Peterson
Badger photo by Art Chavez
Loss of Carferries cost are 15million D. Micheal Heaney
A-4
Carferries Owe Existence to a
A-5
Grain Elevator helped Railroad improve service
1890 photo of harbor and grain elevator
Each Ship had its own signature (whistle codes)
Bit O History
1920’s Harbor Scene Photo
Winter Navigation proved a real test for ships
A-6
Million
A-7
In late 1890’s tugs helped clear ice
Photo PM 16
Cross lake boats had start in 75
A-8
F&PM had own boats by 1882
Photo PM 4 after collision w/ PM 16
Government took over carferries during WWII
Manitowoc Group paid visit in 1859
A-9
Advertisement
A-10
Wireless came to fleet in 1909
Photo Robert Weinert radio operator
Photo PM 18 on excursion to Waukegon 1910
F&PM leased ships from other lines
Carferry 4 joined the fleet in 88
A-11
First steel ship joins fleet in 96
Photo Tug Favorite towing PM 16 in Ludington Channel
Captain Stufflebeam was considered foremost Skipper
McIsaac sailed on every ship
SECTION B
B-1
Photo PM 3 Sinking
Photo PM 18 Officers
Photo Railroad Logging
B-2
33 Vessels have operated here in 115 Years
Photo PM 21
B-3
Loss of 18 was Fleets worst disaster
Photo excursion passengers in Waukegon
Come Help… Come Help!
Captain Kilty was Senior Captain
B-4
Mercereau led fleets most spectacular growth
Captain Behm veteran of 27 years
1890’s brought talk of merger
Photo William Mercereau
Photo New PM 18
B-5
New Century brought new names for PM’s Black Boats
Photo PM 19 heading into Ludington
B-6
Freight Shed was key facility for 69 years
Photo Grain Elevator 1903 PM 3 at the dock
Passenger service began here in 1874
B-7
Efficient rail Service was always goal
Photo 1916 Freight cars being unloaded at the shed.
B-8
Wayne Barnett Engineer
Old Carferries became part of the Straights Fleet
Photo 5 ships in port
Photo Portrait Wayne Barnett
B-9
Stewards Department spans history of carferry service
B-10
1903 marked a major change in PM carferry steamship company
SECTION C
C-1
Photo of
Era of growth for the boats
Photo Lighthouse & Pier
C-2
Post WWI was excellent time for carferries
Photo Ole Stevenson
C-3
Huge ice field crushes PM 3 off Ludington
Photo PM 3 in ice 1903
Hoyt Payment was one of first waiters
Photo portrait Hoyt Payment
C-4
Armistice Day Storm by James Cabot
Photo iced rails
Photo cleaning deck
Photo Breeches Buoy
Photo passenger lowered
Photo gravesite unclaimed bodies
C-5
City of
Capt John calls Armistice Day Storm one of the worst
Photo PM 32 on beach
C-6
L.H. Kent ran carferries like a private navy
Late 1920’s see improvements
PM 4 Badly damaged with PM 17 in Fog
Photo: Leland Kent in his office
Carferry Crew Bill Clark
C-7
A skillful Master, Robertson
Photo Capt Robertson in
Willie Abrahamson Armistice Day Story PM 21
Photo portrait Willie Abrahamson
C-8
Carferry Wives Lonliness, Worry, Self Reliance
Carferries led to at least one romance and marriage
Photo Mr. & Mrs Albert Weisner
C-9
Photo Captain Ervin R
Jim Wells still has vivid memories of carferry collision
C-10
Photo Radio operator Robert Rasmussen
It used to be called the
First Major Union on carferries came with NMU
C-11
Broad Base helped keep carferries afloat
Photo ariel view of harbor and docks
C-12
December 7th attack tightened security for fleet, docks
Carferry Passenger lists include many famous move, sports figures
C-13
Photo Carferries stuck in the harbor
PM Merger with C&O was completed
Ordering new ship was bold move for PM
C-14
13 Men have headed steamship operation
Photo Captain Altschwager
C-15
Continuation of article from C-13
C-16
Coast Guardsmen were trained aboard carferries during WWII
Photo Taking on coal
Photo unidentified coast guard man
SECTION D
D-1
PHOTO by Todd Reed unloading race car
Photo Captain Esten Bayle
Photo Largest carferry fleet in the world
D-2
Full page advertisement
D-3
Photo Pere Marquette 15 pre 1914
D-4
Photo Locomotive and carferry
Photo PM 3 sinking 1920
Photo PM 3 1902
Photo 3 ferries stuck in the ice in the harbor
D-5
Photo PM 3 with Breeches Buoy
Photo Wallace Van Dyke
D-6
Photo Pm 18 I excursion
Photo PM 17 excursion
Photo PM 18, 18 in the ice
Photo Pm 21 and
Photo PM 20 loads at Ludington
D-7
Photo Captain barney Rotta
Photo PM 32 kitchen and cooks
D-8
Photo PM 31 Launch
Photo PM 21 towed out 1979
D-9
Photo Radio Wireless operator Bert Bosecker
Photo PM 41 Launch VIP’s
Photo PM 41 launch VIP’s
D-10
Passengers dining on PM 41
Photo cars waiting to be unloaded PM 41
Photo Passengers boarding the PM 32
D-11
Photo Badger early 1950’s
Photo PM 41 in shipyard
Photo Theodore Winkel
D-12
Photo Tending the fire
Photo 1985 ice storm
Photo Painting the hull PM 41
D-13
Photo PM 41
Photo Clarence Peterson at the helm of PM 41
Photo Andy Rose with accordian
Photo Cooks in the Galley of Spartan
D-14
Photo Rail cars being loaded
Photo Railcars in the yard
E1
Photo Captain Masse at the helm of the Badger
The Boats at Twilight
E2
Abandonment The seeds are planted
E3
Captain Dority was among top skippers of the fleet
E4
Abandonment Part 2 The battle is joined
E5
All Advertisement
E6
Abandonment Part 3 The Kewaunee Plan
Bill Klemm Today I don’t even want to look at them
Spartan Crew saved 3 men, boy from lake
E7
Captain Barth holds one-ship longevity record as Captain
Photo car crushed on City of
E8
Photo Dan Rathsack Spartain 1950’s
Photo Ray Lessard made fine food aboard the City of
Ray Lessard Article
E9
C&O wins long fight to give up carferries
1926 was record year for tonnage in local harbor
E-10
Carferries were relatively free of labor strife
Captain Bissell had notable career
Radar came to fleet soon after war ended
Photo Capt Bissell aboard Badger
Photo arial view harbor during 1952 strike
F-1
Photo Spartan at Dock
Photo Lifeboat drills
Photo Dan Ramsey in the Engine room City of
F2
Carferries had bit of everything from wedding to burial at sea
Railroad turned to diesels in 1940’s
Stack insignia from red ball to a reclining chessie kitten
Carferry history from 1947
Photo 1965 Burial at sea
Photo Gebhart Sroka Wedding picture
F3
Advertising
F4
Carferry Smoke nuisance made headlines and became an issue
Photo Smoke coming from stack of City of
C&O improves
We’re the survivor says oiler
Robert Fox Carferries provided a career
Photo Stewardess Elsie Conway
F5
Advertisements
F6
RJ Bowman was closest to the fleet
Carferries vs ice a real test
Dale Clark recalls storm
Badger’s captain began as a dishwasher (Masse)
1966 was a big year but not for
Photo 1977 carferries in the ice
Photo Carl Anderson machinist
F7
Advertisements
F8
Carferries made 3 famous love boat trips
Visiting carferries remains a highlight for
Cross lake service was still very prosperous into the 70’s
Photo boxcar hanging off from Spartan
Photo Linda Higginson Love boat t-shirt
Photo National guardsmen unload from City of
Photo 1983 Love Boat
F9
Advertisements
F10
MWT giving life to a doomed service
Photo Glen Bowden, William Bacon,
Ship by Ship fleet dwindles
Photo Badger heads off to Kewaunee
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