When I was but a boy, my family would spend a week in the Thousand Islands for vacation each summer. We stayed in small cottages on Dingman Point Road just a short trip from Alexandria Bay. I think most of my fondest childhood memories were from there. One of those memories is watching ships pass through our view as the navigated the St Lawrence Seaway to and from the Great Lakes.
So, image my delight when I looked through the 1931 W.D. & H.O. Will's Strange Craft tobacco card set and found this:
Fast forward to last week. I was back in Ohio visiting my mother for her birthday. Although I grew up in Rochester, all my immediate family now lives in Cleveland (long story.) Anyways, the Great Lakes Science Center has a restored Great Lakes Freighter as part of their collection, the William G Mather. I've never been able to work out a visit for a variety of reasons. But, this time I was able to go and see it. If you ever find yourself in Cleveland in the summer, I highly recommend it. It sits on the north edge of downtown with a nice view of First Energy Stadium, where the Browns play.
Anyways, I spent a couple hours wandering around the good ship and here are a few pictures:
Very, very cool. I recognized the similarly to the Edmund Fitzgerald right away...that same video you linked to is on my YouTube playlist. I am looking forward to going there...but it will likely have to wait until 2021 when the National is in town. I'll be driving through enough route to Toledo in October but don't think I will have enough time, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteI believe it is only open on weekends in October.
DeleteNice post. I think I'll have to try and visit the freighter some day.
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to see Gordon Lightfoot in concert years ago. Great show, and a great song that you linked to.
Is the entire ship open to the public?
ReplyDeleteNot all of it, but enough of it to make the visit worthwhile.
DeleteLove this song... and your photographs!
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