1883: The little tug JAMES ANDERSON burned on Long Lake near Alpena, Michigan, on the morning of 16 February 1883. Arson was suspected.
1910: JAMES E. FERRIS was launched February 16, 1910, as the ONTARIO (Hull#71) at Ecorse, Michigan by Great Lakes Engineering Works.
1939: February 16, 1939 – The state ferry CHIEF WAWATAM was fast in the ice in the Straits of Mackinac. She freed herself the next day and proceeded to St. Ignace.
1943: WAR OSIRIS was built at Port Arthur, Ontario, now part of Thunder Bay, in 1918. It was mined and sunk as c) LISTO near Spodsbjerg, Denmark, while enroute from Larvik, Norway, to Emden, Germany, with iron ore.
1952: American Shipbuilding Co., Lorain, OH, launched the steamer ARTHUR M. ANDERSON on February 16, 1952 for the Pittsburgh Steamship Div., U.S. Steel Corp., in Cleveland, OH, by Mrs. Anderson in honor of her husband. Arthur Marvin Anderson was a director of the United States Steel Corp., a member of its finance committee and vice chairman of the J. P. Morgan and Co. at the time of the launch.
1977: On February 16, 1977, a four-hour fire caused major damage to the crews’ forward quarters aboard the W.W. HOLLOWAY while at American Ship Building’s South Chicago yard.
1979: EDWIN H. GOTT sailed on her maiden voyage February 16, 1979, in ballast from Milwaukee, bound for Two Harbors, Minnesota. This was the first maiden voyage of a laker ever in mid-winter. She was in convoy with three of her fleet mates; CASON J. CALLAWAY, PHILIP R. CLARKE and JOHN G. MUNSON each needing assistance from the U.S.C.G.C. MACKINAW to break through heavy ice 12 to 14 inches thick the length of Lake Superior. The GOTT took part in a test project, primarily by U.S. Steel, to determine the feasibility of year around navigation.
2019: On Sunday, February 16, 2019, a devastating fire swept through the American Steamship Co, self-unloader ST. CLAIR while she was docked at the Torco dock in Toledo, OH, for winter lay up. The fire burned the length of the ship along the unloading belts and also destroyed the superstructure. No one was injured, but the vessel was declared a total loss. On December 7, 2021, the McKeil Marine tug MOLLY M 1 took the ST. CLAIR under tow to the Marine Recycling Corp. scrapyard at Port Colborne, ON.
Data from: Skip Gillham, Max Hanley, Joe Barr, Father Dowling Collection, Ahoy & Farewell II and the “Great Lakes Ships We Remember” series.