News: Ship Ready For Move to New Home

MANISTEE, Michigan - May 17, 2004

The much-anticipated move of the National Historic Landmark steamship City of Milwaukee could occur tomorrow, May 18. The U.S. Coast Guard has issued permits for the voyage, which will commence as soon the winds have died down. Crowds of onlookers and “ship watchers” from around the Great Lakes will be viewing as the ship travels the length of Manistee Lake. The S.S. City of Milwaukee will take about two hours to go from dock to dock in tow of tugs Chris E. Luedtke and Erich R. Luedtke of Frankfort, Mich. The 350-foot, 74-year-old steamship will be moved from its Ninth Street, Manistee location to its new dock site at the Moonlite Motel and Marina on Manistee Lake directly along U.S. Highway 31 in Manistee.

The ship will be the central focus of a new maritime heritage development, which will be the largest of it’s kind in the state of Michigan. The 350-foot historic passenger and railroad car ferry will soon offer 35 overnight rooms, rental facilities, and boxcars for a theater, museum and exhibits. On shore there is a 25-unit motel, 56-slip marina, RV campground, beach and picnic grounds along with plans for historic rail cars and rail car loading apron. It is expected that work will be finalized within the next two years. Purchase of the site and a portion of development costs are being funded with a $1.3 million U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Loan.

The development will be a boon to the region’s tourism economy. Preservationists are applauding the work as a demonstration of how historic preservation can provide both cultural and economic benefits. Heritage tourism is now a top ranked global market; the National Historic Landmark ship is anticipated to draw 30,000 visitors the first year and upwards of 90,000 when fully developed.

The S.S. City of Milwaukee is the last traditional Great Lakes railroad car ferry remaining. These vessels battled storms and ice transporting trains and passengers year round across the lakes for over a century. The ships connected communities throughout he Great Lakes. The S.S. City of Milwaukee was built in 1930 by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wis. It entered service in January of 1931 for the Grand Trunk Railroad. The S.S. City of Milwaukee sailed from the Michigan ports of Grand Haven, Muskegon and Frankfort, to the Wisconsin ports of Milwaukee, Manitowoc and Kewaunee.

Mike Brougham, executive director with the project, said “Plans have been in the works for years to develop a permanent home for the ship. Watching it move across Manistee Lake this week will the dream come true for many in the Great Lakes community and our organization.” The S.S. City of Milwaukee – National Historic Landmark is a non-profit membership corporation. Volunteers are being sought to assist with the many aspects of the project, including tours and repainting of the ship in its historic colors. To learn more about the project, membership, and volunteering visit http://www.carferry.com or telephone the office at (231) 723-3587.

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