The Milwaukee Clipper

I am beginning a personal photography project. I plan on photographing, in as much detail as I can, the last remaining historical Lake Michigan car ferries. This will include the cross lake ferries and the short haul ferries.

As most are aware, the last remaining historic cross lake ferry is the SS Badger. Moored next to the Badger in her home port, Ludington, is her sister, the SS Spartan. The Badger and the Spartan are owned by Lake Michigan Carferry Service. They were built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin for the C&O Railroad (formerly the Pere Marquette Railroad and later the Chessie System), which owned the Ludington-based ferries before LMC. Up until the 1970s, seven C&O carferries called Ludington home. The railroad, including the carferries, accounted for 5% of the Mason County workforce.

In Manistee, the SS City of Milwaukee is docked and open to the public for tours. The Milwaukee was owned for many years by the Grand Trunk Western Railroad and was based out of Muskegon. The ship was later purchased by the state of Michigan and operated for the Ann Arbor Railroad with its home port in Frankfort, Michigan until the end of its career in 1981.

In Muskegon, the SS Milwaukee Clipper is being restored as a museum ship. The ship was built in 1903 and was called the Juniata. In 1940 the ship was refitted with a streamlined steel superstructure. From 1941 until 1970 the ship carried passengers and automobiles from Muskegon to Milwaukee. In addition, the LST393, a former military vessel that later in its career transported automobiles from Muskegon to Milwaukee, is also on display in Muskegon.

At least two more Lake Michigan cross lake railroad car ferries are currently mothballed and moored on the Great Lakes (that I am aware of). The Arthur K. Atkinson, which was owned by the Ann Arbor Railroad and based out of Frankfort, is currently in DeTour, Michigan on Lake Huron. The Viking I, also an Ann Arbor car ferry, is in Menominee, Michigan near the Wisconsin border.

There are also several former car ferries that still serve on the Great Lakes now as barges. I am not sure if I not sure if I will be pursuing the barges, however.

In addition, there are many short haul car ferries, such as the ferries at Washington Island, Wis., Charlevoix to Beaver Island and from Leland to North and South Manitou islands. Again, I am not sure if I will pursue those boats yet. My first priority will be the historic cross lake ferries.

So, that's the project. I do not know what the outcome will be. At the least, the images will be published here at www.alwayphotoblog.com and also at www.facebook.com/alwayphoto. They will most likely also appear in the pages of the Ludington Daily News as well. I may get even more ambitious and write about the ships and interview former crew members (and current in the case of the Badger).

Any suggestions and leads would be greatly appreciated, especially with the Atkinson and Viking I.

Here are some shots from the Milwaukee Clipper. More photos on Facebook.

-rob