Mason County History Companion

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, Midland

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 Flint area Railroad

 

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 11-29-1899

1920’s Harbor Scene Photo

Winter Navigation proved a real test for ships

 

A-6

Million Dollar Harbor was boon to ships

 

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 City of Saginaw

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 Midland by Todd Reed

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 Saginaw catches fire at Manitowoc

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 Pilothouse City of Midland

Willie Abrahamson Armistice Day Story PM 21

Photo portrait Willie Abrahamson

Photo Harbor Black Boats 1892

 

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 Short Route

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 7^th 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 June 5^th 1947

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 Virginia

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 Midland

 

E8

Photo Dan Rathsack Spartain 1950’s

Photo Ray Lessard made fine food aboard the City of Flint

Ray Lessard Article

 

E9

C&O wins long fight to give up carferries

1926 was record year for tonnage in local harbor

Corregidor guns passed through here

 

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 Midland

 

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 Midland

Photo City of Midland being pulled from the mud

C&O improves Jones Island

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 Midland

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 Colorado family

Cross lake service was still very prosperous into the 70’s

Anderson fondly remembers the people

Photo boxcar hanging off from Spartan

Photo Linda Higginson Love boat t-shirt

Photo National guardsmen unload from City of Midland

Photo 1983 Love Boat

 

F9

Advertisements

 

F10

MWT giving life to a doomed service

Photo Glen Bowden, William Bacon, George Towns

Ship by Ship fleet dwindles

Photo Badger heads off to Kewaunee