Today in Great Lakes History – June 21

Today in Great Lakes History – June 21

On 21 June 1868, the D&C Line’s MORNING STAR (wooden side-wheel steamer, 243 foot, 1,075 tons, built in 1862, at Trenton, Michigan) was late in leaving her dock in Cleveland, Ohio, because she was loading some last-minute freight (iron bars and glass). As...
Today in Great Lakes History – June 20

Today in Great Lakes History – June 20

1953 – The Paterson steamer SCOTIADOC sank in Lake Superior near Trowbridge Island after a collision in wind and fog with the BURLINGTON of Canada Steamship Lines. One man was lost when the starboard lifeboat was swamped after being launched. On this day in 1943, the...
Today in Great Lakes History – June 19

Today in Great Lakes History – June 19

On 19 June 1889, NORTH STAR (steel propeller freighter, 299 foot, 2,476 gross tons, built in 1889, at Cleveland, Ohio) collided with CHARLES J. SHEFFIELD (steel propeller freighter, 260 foot, 1,699 gross tons, built in 1887, at Cleveland, Ohio) about sixty miles west...
Today in Great Lakes History – June 17

Today in Great Lakes History – June 17

On June 17, 1895, the J. W. Westcott Co. inaugurated its unique mail delivery service. On 17 June 1878, the Canadian schooner JAMES SCOTT of Port Burwell capsized and sank in Lake Erie. The captain’s wife, their child and two seamen were drowned. The wooden...
Today in Great Lakes History – June 16

Today in Great Lakes History – June 16

On 16 June 1891, Alexander McDougall himself took his brand-new whaleback steamer JOSEPH L. COLBY (steel propeller whaleback freighter, 265 foot, 1,245 gross tons, built in 1890 at West Superior, Wisconsin) down the St. Lawrence River to the sea. The double-hulled...