The Local History Gallery
For the White Lake Area
Website & Imaging: Jerry Grady     Research: Barb Brow

Ships/Steamers Page 2
PAGE 1          CONTENTS 

Tempest

Cayuga was built in 1872 in Buffalo, New York, with a steel hull, 57.5 feet in length and classified as a Tug-Towboat.

In May 1884, H. E. Staples took part in the purchase of the Cayuga for William Lanford and brought it to White Lake, where it served the area as a ferry boat until 1913, when it was sold to T. J. Stockwell of Chatham, Ontario.

During its time on White Lake, several other individuals owned and operated the Cayuga including: Henry Lanford & Evan & Joshua Knudsen (1884); Staples & Covell (1885); W. E. Parsons & Fred Partridge (1887); David W. Wilson (1895); I. L. Lanford (1903). From 1956-62 it was laid up in Thessalon, Ontario and was finally abandoned in 1962.

In 1906 the fare to any part of White Lake was 10 cents for passengers and 25 cents per trunk. The route was between Montague and Whitehall and Sylvan Beach. The hours of operation were from 6:00AM to 8:00PM, Daily & Sundays.

The Argo was built in 1901 by the Craig Shipbuilding Company in Toledo, Ohio. It had a steel hull and was 174 feet in length. It was operated by A. Booth & Company of Chicago, Illinois.

In 1902 it was purchased by J. H. Graham of St. Joseph, Michigan; remodeled during the winter; had 85 staterooms built.

In 1903 Graham and Morton Transportation Company of Michigan City, Indiana, became the owners. It was during this time that the Argo made her appearance on White Lake.

Alterations were again made in 1904 to enlarge the cabins and move the staterooms.

In 1910 the Argo was sold to E. W. Seymour of Chicago, Illinois, and the name was changed to RACINE.

December 1917 saw the vessel sold in New York to the French government with a new home port of Brest, France; the name was changed to RENE.

It was reported in 1938 that the ship was still in service.

Atlanta

Mark B Covell Steambarge Launching
 

Mark B. Covell in Manistee
 

The Mark B. Covell was built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, in 1888 by Burger and Burger for Mark B. Covell, Peter B. Campbell et al of Whitehall. The vessel, which was classified as a steambarge, had a 130 foot wooden hull, and was built for the lumber trade on Lake Michigan as well as transporting passengers.

In 1891 it was sold to the Manistee and Milwaukee Transportation Company. In 1906 it changed ownership, was rebuilt and the name changed to the Pere Marquette. It would have several other owners in the coming years and finally ended up back in Manitowoc where it was burned in a July 4^th spectacle in 1939.

At the turn of the century, the White Lake area became a popular summer resort area. Thousands of people from Chicago and surrounding areas would travel on steamships to get to White Lake to enjoy the many resorts.

The Lawrence was built in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1876. Classified as a “Propeller”, it was built to carry passengers and packaged freight. Its wooden hull was 135 feet in length. In 1902 it was rebuilt and the hull was lengthened to 162 feet. It was at that time that it was renamed “Frontenac”.

The Frontenac serviced the area from 1902 to 1904.

The C.H. Hackley was built in 1867 in Milwaukee, WI by Allan, McClelland & Co for B. F. Aldrich, et al of Kenosha, WI. It was built as a 125 foot 3-mast wooden hulled schooner. Launched in August 1867 in Milwaukee as a lumber trade sister ship to the ROUSE SIMMONS, the Christmas tree ship. The C. H. Hackley was rebuilt in 1889 and had several successive owners during her lifetime. Was used in the lumber trade running between the Gulf coast to Cuba, and other island. Finally laid up in 1928 and in 1933 was abandoned in the Gulf of Mexico. The C.H. Hackley loaded at the Covell mill dock in 1895 below.