Life of the S.S. Zenith City

December 13, 2025 / mikelbclassen / Leave a comment

This article contains never before seen photos of the Zenith City taken at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. They are part of the Mikel B. Classen Collection of Historical Pictures.

Edging into the Soo Locks is the S.S. Zenith City an ore freighter.

The S.S. Zenith City slowly makes its way into the Soo Locks.

The Zenith City was a classic freighter ship of its day. It sailed throughout the Great Lakes for many years, and was the longest ship of its day at 387 ft. Launched in 1895 in Chicago, the Zenith City traveled throughout the Great Lakes hauling iron ore back and forth.

The ship sailed without mishap until July 26, 1910, when it ran aground at Au Sable Point in Lake Superior. There was a thick fog and it hit Au Sable’s sandstone reef about a mile offshore. Fortunately, there wasn’t much damage and she was pulled off the reef and was able to resume well enough to get the ship somewhere it could be repaired. Several bottom plates had to be replaced, but it was soon back on the water on its way.

Zenith City sailed until 1946 when it became scrap after World War II.

The bow of the Zenith City at Sault Ste. Marie in 1910.

Six years later, the Zenith City sank. It was a storm near Hammond Bay in Lake Huron. There is very little information about the wreck other than it sank and was then recovered. The Zenith City sailed again.

It continued hauling ore until World War II. The Zenith City was sold to the U.S. War Shipping Administration along with six other ships in 1943. The Zenith City then spent its time taking supplies to the war effort in Europe. One year later the ship was laid up. It would remain there. It was sold for scrap in 1946. The Zenith City was no more. The only memories remain in pictures.

The S.S. Zenith City bridge at a closer angle.

A closer look at the bridge on the Zenith City going through the Soo Locks.

Historical Photos – Copper Country – Keweenaw – Michigan

October 2, 2023October 2, 2023 / mikelbclassen / Leave a comment

Pasty Boy from the Copper Country holds a pasty bigger than his head.

This is from the Keweenaw with a caption the reads “I’m ‘Rale’ Cornish.”

I recently received a few new additions to my historical pictures collection. I thought it might be fun to share them with everyone. The first one is Pasty Boy up top. This delightful image comes from the copper country. He’s holding a pasty that is bigger than his head and a cane meant to represent a shepherd’s crook. Cornwall was a long way from the Keweenaw Peninsula, but the Cornish copper miners kept their heritage alive. The Cornish Pasty lives as a shared heritage between the Upper Peninsula and Cornwall, England.

Part of a fleet of four ships the Tionesta made regular runs to the Copper Country.

The luxury passenger liner S.S. Tionesta enters the Portage Canal to receive cargo and passengers from Houghton and Hancock.

Next we have a nice picture of the luxury passenger steamship liner, the Tionesta. Part of a fleet of four, she could carry passengers and cargo. The ship was a frequent visitor to the Portage Canal which runs between Houghton and Hancock, Michigan and would pick up loads of copper and people. If you rode on the Tionesta, you were treated to the best life had to offer. She was launched in 1903 and plied the waves until 1937 sailing through the tumult of a world war, the roaring 20’s and prohibition. A link below goes to a video of historical images of the S.S. Tionesta.

An excellent video on the Tionesta: SS Tionesta ~~ The Revolutionary Steamer – YouTube

Called the Scott Hotel in recent years, this old landmark still stands a Michigan Historical Site.

The Hotel Scott was one of the premier places to stay in the City of Hancock.

Named after Archibald Scott, the Hotel Scott opened in 1906. The five story building was made of Lake Superior Sandstone and was one of Hancock’s outstanding places to stay. Currently it is on the National Register of Historical Places. Still standing today at 101 East Quincy Street, it houses apartments instead of the 100 rooms that was previously for guests.

If you enjoyed these historical pictures, check out my book, Faces, Places & Days Gone By.

Portage Swing Bridge Collision – Houghton – Hancock – Michigan

June 29, 2023 / mikelbclassen / Leave a comment

The Portage Canal swing bridge can be seen in the background of this picture showing the waterfront of both Houghton and Hancock, Michigan.

Tons of copper ingots ready to be shipped are waiting on the Portage Canal Waterfront. The swing bridge can be seen in the background. The canal was a vital shipping lane for the Keweenaw copper.

The Collapse of the Portage Canal Swing Bridge, April 1905

The Portage Canal swing bridge which ran between Houghton and Hancock, Michigan was an amazing bit of engineering. Originally built in 1875, it was constructed of wood and featured a giant gear which swiveled the bridge to run parallel to the canal. It would then swing back into place after a ship had passed so the railroad could run through. The bridge was the only connection there was between the Keweenaw Peninsula and the rest of the Upper Peninsula that didn’t require a boat. Its importance can’t be understated.

In 1895 the bridge was rebuilt out of steel. The wood was replaced and the center swivel gear was now a massive piece of metal that was a marvel in itself. Hundreds of ships would pass through this waterway loaded with Keweenaw copper on its way to factories and smelters on the lower Great Lakes.

Damage from the Northern Wave can be plainly seen. The damaged bridge was replaced in a year.

This picture shows the wreckage of the Houghton Hancock swing bridge. The giant center gear can be seen in this picture. The damage was catastrophic.

On April 15, 1905, a ship named the Northern Wave steamed up the Portage Canal. As they approached the bridge, watchmen signaled the ship. The Captain of the Northern Wave followed the signals (according to him) and collided with the swing bridge. He claimed the signals were wrong. The impact caused the bridge to come down in a mass of steel and wood. By a miracle, no one was killed, but two watchmen had to jump into the canal.

The Portage Canal was effectively blocked. Copper shipping had to be rerouted. The railroad could only reach the shore of the canal, so a large effort was made to cleanup the debris and rebuild the swing bridge. It was rebuilt in a year.

The rebuilt swing bridge was replaced by the lift bridge, the one we see today, in 1959.