Icy Ordeal of the Alexander McDougall – Lake Superior

January 4, 2025 / mikelbclassen / Leave a comment

A storm on Lake Superior covered this ship in ice trapping the crew inside.

The Alex McDougall whaleback ship encased in ice with the crew frozen inside.

A whaleback ship is an early ore freighter that sailed throughout the Great Lakes. The one pictured, the Alexander McDougall, is shown docked at Sault Ste. Marie, MI after a terrifying ordeal. It was the largest whaleback built in 1898 and was 418 feet long. The ship was lost for three days sailing through a brutal Lake Superior storm.

When docked at the Soo, she was coated with 20 inches of ice and axes were used to free the captain and the wheelsman from the pilot house. They had remained at their stations unwavering during the storm. The dining room and stateroom were at the rear of the ship and the ice coating and the heavy rolling seas made it impossible to reach. Over time they became prisoners of the ice. During the three days the captain and the wheelman had no sleep or food. It was a miracle they made it with all credit going to the captain and his wheelman for saving the ship, cargo, and crew.

For more information: Click here.

Historical Photos – Upper Peninsula – Michigan – Republic, Curtis, Crystal Falls

November 28, 2024 / mikelbclassen / Leave a comment

Milk delivery is harsh in a U.P. winter back in the day.

This is a milk delivery sled at Crystal Falls in winter.

Neboshshon Dairy winter delivery sleigh – Crystal Falls

This old picture from Crystal Falls shows the horse drawn winter delivery sleigh. The Neboshshon Dairy operated around 1900. The advertising on the side says “All cows tuberculum tested annually.” It’s Ayershire Milk is “Clean milk for clean people, good milk for good babies.” The delivery man is unidentified and the same for the photographer.

A rare photograph of a group camping near Curtis, Michigan on Manistique Lake in 1873.

A group sits around the campfire at Big Manistique Lake in Curtis, MI

Camping at Big Manistique Lake in 1873 – Curtis, MI

These people look like they are having a great time. This picture was dated 1873 and labeled that it was taken at Curtis on Big Manistique Lake. As to who these folks are? Nothing is said. On the left is a Native American family. One guy is holding a trout creel and his fish net is on his back. Another is smoking a long pipe while a guitar player strums a few tunes. The outdoors clothing shows the period perfectly. This is a gem and probably one of a kind.

This unknown building is located in Republic, Michigan. It was either an orphanage or a boarding house.

This is an old building from Republic, MI. The vintage architecture is worth noting. Its use was unknown.

Rare photo of Victorian Building – Republic, Michigan

This picture is from an old stereoview from the mining town of Republic. The building’s use isn’t told, but the figures in the picture are children. This makes me think this is either an orphanage, a school, or a boarding house. There is nothing to indicate its use.

Whalebacks were an early form of ore carrier that plied the Great Lakes for many years.

Whaleback barges docked at Sault Ste. Marie. These now extinct ships once were common on the Great Lakes.

Whaleback barges docked at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan

These unusual ships are no extinct on the Great Lakes. These were made in Superior, Wisconsin, and were considered a better idea than shipping ores with schooners. At one time 44 of these ships sailed all through the lakes and delivered iron ore, coal, grain, and other commodities. Eventually they would be replaced by the modern ore freighter which still operates today.

If you enjoy these, check out my book “Faces, Places and Days Gone By.”

Historical Photos – Early Great Lakes Ships

May 17, 2021September 19, 2025 / mikelbclassen / Leave a comment

Historical Ships of the upper Great Lakes

Pictures courtesy of the Mikel Classen Collection of Historical Pictures

This is an early passenger steamer named “City of Traverse.” This view of the ship shows only ne lock and the river rapids can be seen beyond the ship.

Many old historical ship pictures were taken at the Soo Locks. The close-up vantage point for the bulky photo equipment made it a choice spot for ship photography in the early years.

Whalebacks in the Soo Locks with tugs.

Over the years there have been many kinds of ships that have sailed the Great Lakes. All of them served a valued purpose in their day, though some had some uniquely strange looks. Of course many of these at some point would wind up at the bottom of the lakes, casualties of unexpected storms.

This is a couple of schooners going through the Soo Locks.

From Sailing ships to coal fired steamers, a fascination remains of all of these different types of ships. To this day visitors flock to the Soo Locks for a glimpse of the great ships that still sail the lakes.

This early freighter is called the Zenith City. It would sink not long after this picture.

This is not a by-gone era but one that has evolved through the years. The lake ships of all kinds serve as vital a purpose now as they did in the past.

This picture is of an early wood fired side-wheeler. photos of these are few and far between.

While watching the ships of today, it is also fun to think about the ships of the past, smaller and more susceptible, battling the violent elements of the Great Lakes for their very survival. Some succeeded, many didn’t, ending in tragedy and a watery grave. Requiem for sailors of a different time and men with courage beyond most.

Historical Photos – Whalebacks – Extinct Ships of the Great Lakes

March 28, 2021September 19, 2025 / mikelbclassen / 1 Comment

Images are from my personal historical photos collection

Whalebacks were used to haul cargo across the Great Lakes. Pictured is the Colgate Hoyt, the first self-powered (steam) whaleback in the fleet. Circa 1890.

Whaleback ships were a unique design that was adopted to ship ore across the Great Lakes and particularly Lake Superior. Their shape was designed to lessen the impact of turbulent surf. When fully loaded they looked more like a submarine than a surface ship. They were used mostly as a tow barge replacing schooners which had been used before this.

Whalebacks at the Soo Locks towing each other a common practice in ore shipping.

Whalebacks were fairly common throughout the early 20th century. 44 of them were built between 1887 and 1898. Twenty-five of the whalebacks built were tow barges, the other 19 were steam powered. Most of them were built in Duluth, MN or Superior, WI as freighters for the iron range. None of them are left except one that is a museum ship in Superior, WI, the SS Meteor. (here is a link to the Whaleback Museum: https://superiorpublicmuseums.org/ss-meteor/)

Whalebacks taking on ore in Escanaba.

When loaded whalebacks were hard to see and were often run into by ships that couldn’t see them. Their hatches tended to leak and bend during stress which made them a hazard. The Whaleback is the forefather to the modern ore freighter that we commonly see now, like the neanderthal to the modern man.

Whaleback in the Soo Locks. A heavily loaded one can be seen behind it.

One whaleback was unique from all the rest. That is the Christopher Columbus, the only passenger whaleback ever made. It was painted white and 362 feet long, the longest ship on the Great Lakes at the time and the longest whaleback ever built. The Christopher Columbus was built to ferry passengers to the Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Thousands of passengers would ride on her and it was said she could hold 4000 at capacity.

The picture below is rare as I think it is the only one in existence. It shows the Christopher Columbus sailing up the Portage Canal at Houghton /Hancock. I believe this is its maiden voyage. It was built in Superior, WI and spent most of its time shuttling passengers in the southern end of Lake Michigan. Once it reached the lower lakes, it seems to have stayed there.