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As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Fontana on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Fontana.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 231 ft. length of the Fontana.

Hull of the Great Lakes freighter Fontana lying near the mouth of the St. Clair River after colliding with the Santiago.

Photo of the brass plaque on the Boardwalk showing the data for the Great Lakes freighter Fontana including year built and length.

Fontana Built - 1888 231 ft. x 39 ft. x 17 ft. The Great Lakes freighter Fontana was built in St. Clair's Langell Shipyard in 1888 and launched for the St. Clair Steam Ship Company. On August 2, 1900 she was down bound on Lake Huron being towed by the steamer Kaliyuga (also built in the Langell Shipyard) loaded with 2,593 tons of iron ore from Presque Isle and bound for Cleveland, Ohio. She collided with the schooner Santiago and sunk in the mouth of the St. Clair River near Port Huron. Wreckage of the Fontana remains offshore by the Fort Gratiot lighthouse but scuba divers must be very strong and experienced to manage the currents if they wish to dive the wreck.

Fontana

St. Clair, Michigan's Boardwalk is a freighter watching destination for thousands of visitors to the city each year. St. Clair and the Boardwalk are located on the St. Clair River at the mid point between Port Huron and Lake St. Clair. Great Lakes freighters of all shapes and sizes pass by the park on their way from ports on Lake Superior to destinations on the Detroit River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario or the St. Lawrence Estuary. Cargoes include Canadian grain bound for Europe, Iron Ore for the Great Lakes Steel Mills, Rock Salt for road deicing in the winter, limestone for steel production, and petroleum products bound for Canada's maritime provinces from refineries in Sarnia, Ontario (across from Port Huron.) Excursion boats also give passengers the excitement of touring the St. Clair River then passing under the Blue Water Bridges (U.S. to Canada crossing) into southern Lake Huron.St. Clair's beautiful Palmer Park entices visitors to freighter watch because it has the longest freshwater boardwalk in North America. The Park and Boardwalk were created in 1968 when an Urban Renewal project demolished most of the dilapidated buildings along St. Clair's riverfront. This new park made freighter watching more accessible and enjoyable.Because of a shallow area in the middle of the St. Clair River, freighters traveling both up-bound and down-bound pass within 125 feet of the Boardwalk. Visitors are impressed with the sheer size of the freighters. To give them an even great appreciation of freighter sizes, the St. Clair Leadership Team created the St. Clair Freighter Walk in the Spring of 2022. Brass markers screwed to the Boardwalk mark the name, date of construction and length of 22 ships from the earliest (LeGriffon) at 49 ft. to the longest, Paul R. Tregurtha, at 1013.6 ft.A Freighter Walk brochure is posted in a kiosk in the park but more detailed information on each of the ships in included in this Clio Walking Tour. Enjoy!!

For those wanting to experience the historic and massive Great Lakes freighters in a different way, the City of St. Clair’s Freighter Walk gives Great Lakes ship watchers a better understanding of just how large (or small) twenty-two current or former Great Lakes vessels really are. The 1/5 mile Freighter Walk uses brass markers attached to the Boardwalk along the St. Clair River in the city’s Palmer Park. Each marker highlights the name, length and date of construction of one of 22 famous Great Lakes ships.The Freighter Walk begins near the middle of the Boardwalk with a brass “Start" plate located immediately downhill below the statue of the Waving Lady. The Freighter Walk then travels south along the Boardwalk ending at 1,013 ft. with the marker for the Great Lakes freighter Paul R. Tregurtha, the longest of the Great Lakes vessels ever built. Other vessels with markers include the 40 ft. Le Griffon, built in 1679 and the 729 ft. Edmund Fitzgerald which was lost in a storm in November 1975.

While you are standing next to the plaque for Le Griffon, look back to the starting point by the statue of the Waving Lady to "experience" the length of this historic vessel..

Le Griffon Built - 1679 40 ft. x 15 ft The Griffin was the first ship built above the falls on the Niagara River. It was a 45-ton barque carrying seven cannon. LaSalle and Father Louis Hennepin set out on Le Griffon’s maiden voyage on August 7, 1679 with a crew of 32, sailing across Lake Erie, up the St. Clair River, Lake Huron and Lake Michigan through uncharted waters that had previously been explored only by canoe.

Le Griffon

While standing on the Boardwalk plaque for the Pilot, look back to the starting point to envision the length of this historic Great Lakes freighter. You are standing on the point which would have been the bow. The Starting point plaque would be the stern for all ships.

Pilot Built – 1825 63 ft. x 15 ft. x 11 ft. Built on the St. Clair River in St. Clair, the Pilot was in commission for about twenty years when it grounded and filled in heavy weather off of Beaver Island in Lake Michigan on December 14, 1845. She was loaded with 100 stoves and merchandise headed from Mackinac to Milwaukee, Racine and Chicago. All of the passengers were rescued immediately, but the captain and crew were forced to spend eight days trapped aboard, exposed to the elements before they were rescued.

Pilot

You are now standing on the Boardwalk plaque for the Huron Lady II. This point represents the bow of the Huron Lady II. Looking back to the starting point plaque near the statue of the waving lady, you can envision the length of this popular Great Lakes excursion boat.

Huron Lady II Built – 1994 73 ft. x 20 ft. x 29 ft. You are now 73 feet from your St. Clair Freighter Walk starting point. Look back to the starting point to gain a visual perspective of the length of this St. Clair River and Lake Huron excursion boat. Capable of holding 100 passengers, her home port is the Black River in Port Huron. Passengers can enjoy excursions aboard the Huron Lady II cruising the northern St. Clair River and the southern part of Lake Huron. The highlight is passing under the two Blue Water Bridges and a cruise by in front of the Fort Gratiot Lighthouse.

Huron Lady II

You are now standing on the Boardwalk plaque for the Welcome. This point represents the bow of the Welcome. Looking back to the starting point plaque near the statue of the waving lady, you can envision the length of this Great Lakes ferry vessel.

Welcome Built – 1894 80 ft. x 21 ft. x 9 ft. This propeller ferry was built at the Langell Shipyard for Baby and Dale (pronounced Bau-bee). She was a ferry from St. Clair, Michigan to Courtright, Ontario, and also carried salt from the Diamond Crystal Salt Company to Canadian trains for shipping east.

Welcome

You are now standing on the Boardwalk plaque for the Dec D,Orleans II.. This point represents the bow of the Dec D'Orleans II. Looking back to the starting point plaque near the statue of the waving lady, you can envision the length of this Great Lakes boat.

Duc D’Orleans II Built – 1987 84 ft. x 29 ft. The “Duc” was built in 1987 in Warren, Rhode Island as an excursion boat. She was brought to Sarnia, Ontario by the current owners in 2005 to replace the original Duc D’Orleans.

Duc D'Orleans II

You are now standing on the Boardwalk plaque for the first Duc D'Orleans. It was longer than the Duc D'Orleans II. This point represents the bow of the Duc D'Orleans. Looking back to the starting point plaque near the statue of the waving lady, you can envision the length of this Great Lakes military then excursion boat.

Duc D’Orleans Built – 1943 112 ft. x 18 ft. You are now 112 ft. from the starting point. Your view back gives the best way of experiencing the length of the Duc D’Orleans. The original Duc D’Orleans was initially christened the Q105 for the Canadian Navy. She was built in Sarnia, one of seven of her type to serve in WWII for use as a minesweeper and submarine chaser. The hull was unique as it was made of mahogany long after ships were being made of steel. In 1976, she returned to Sarnia to spend 27 years touring as many as 194 passengers at a time in the Blue Water area.

Duc D'Orleans

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Goliath on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Goliath.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 131 ft. length of the Goliath.

Goliath Built – 1846 131 ft. x 25 ft. x 9 ft. The Goliath was a steam barge with a propeller. She was built as a cargo carrier only, no passengers. Later in the same year she was launched, the Goliath was wrecked off of Black River but was later raised. In September 1848, a boiler explosion ignited 200 kegs of gunpowder causing a devastating explosion near Lake Huron’s Saginaw Bay. 18 people died in the explosion. 1000 barrels of flour and maize meant for mining towns in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula littered the shoreline around Goderich, Ontario.  The cargo had been loaded in Buffalo, New York and Detroit, Michigan.

Goliath

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Margaret R. Goffe on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Margaret R. Goffe.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 131 ft. length of the Margaret R. Goffe..

Margaret R. Goffe Built – 1862 135 ft. x 25 ft. x 10 ft. This is the first vessel that shipbuilder Simon Langell worked on in St. Clair. The Margaret R. Goffe entered service for E. Smith of St. Clair. She had a grain capacity of 18,000 bushels. In May of 1885, she was loaded with cedar ties headed south on the St. Clair River with Cleveland, Ohio as her destination. During the night, the Goffe collided with the schooner Iron Cliff just below Stag Island causing severe bow damage.

Margaret R. Goffe

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Hemisphere on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Hemisphere..  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 138 ft. length of the Hemisphere.

Hemisphere		Built – 1864		138.5 ft. x 26 ft. x 10.9 ft.			The Hemisphere was the first ship built in the Langell Shipyard. She was also built for E. Smith. Several years later she departed the Great Lakes to escape the creditors (who had provided vessel work) and to avoid the sheriff. At the time, the Hemisphere was loaded with products from Chicago, headed for Europe. Her last recorded departure point was Quebec in May 1877.

Hemishphere

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Oscoda on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Oscoda.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 175 ft. length of the Oscoda.

Oscoda                       Built – 1878               175 ft. x 32 ft. x 13 ft.                       The Oscoda was a steam barge that was used as a lumber hooker for many years. She was built by Simon Langell but in the Truesdail Shipyard. On Feb. 6, 1878, the St. Clair Republican newspaper reported that “Mr. Langell is now in the woods getting out timber for the vessel.” By May, it was reported that “Langell and his fifty men were hard at work on the barge.” In November 1914, the Oscoda was loaded with lumber herself and towing two additional barges bound for Chicago. The crew decided to make a course change to proceed along the west side of Lake Michigan. The Oscoda was driven ashore by a November winter gale and heavy snow squall. There were no casualties, but the crew had an harrowing experience getting to one of the other barges before the Oscoda was smashed to pieces on Pelke Reef, 12 miles east of Naubinway on the north shore of the Straits of Mackinac. She eventually sank near St. Helena Island.

Oscoda

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Ogemaw on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Ogemaw.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 177 ft. length of the Ogemaw.

Ogemaw                    Built – 1881               177 ft. x 30 ft. x 11 ft.                       The Ogemaw was another lumber hooker built in the Langell Shipyard in St. Clair. She was also built for the Wood, Sperry &amp; Company. Her first captain was H Fish of St. Clair. In her tenth year on the lakes, the Ogemaw sank on Lake Michigan near Big Bay de Noc on Dec. 3, 1891 in 66 ft. of water. She was later raised and put back into service. Exactly 31 years later the Ogemaw burned at Grand Point, Harsens Island, across from the City of Algonac, Michigan.

Ogemaw

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Hurlbut Chauncy on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Hurlbut Chauncy.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 185 ft. length of the Hurlbut Chauncy.

Hurlbut Chauncy                  Built – 1874              185 ft. x 32 ft. x ft.                Hurlbut Chauncy was a propeller driven ship built by Simon Langell in 1874 in the Langell Shipyard in St. Clair. In September 1906 while loaded with copper and towing the schooner D.K. Clint, she spring a leak in a gale on Lake Superior. The Chauncy was beached, stranded and lost ten miles west of Whitefish Point.

Hurlbut Chauncy

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Simon Langell on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Simon Langell.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 195 ft. length of the Simon Langell.

Simon Langell Built - 1886 195 ft. x 34 ft. x 14 ft. The Great Lakes lumber hooker Simon Langell was built for the lumber trade by Simon Langell himself in 1886 in the Langell Shipyard. After years of service hauling lumber the ship burned at Portsmouth, Ontario in November 1926.

Simon Langell

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked MCRR Tunnel Sections on the boardwalk represents the end of one of the sections of the Michigan Central Tunnel sections.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 262.5 ft. length of just one of the 11 tunnel sections.

MCRR Tunnel Sections Built - 1909 262.5 ft. x 56 ft. Great Lakes Engineering Works built 11 double-tubed railroad tunnel sections at their shipyard located just south of St. Clair in East China Township. Each tunnel section was temporarily sealed with wood to create buoyancy. They were then towed downriver to Detroit where the wood was removed. Each tunnel section was then sunk in a trench dug in the bottom of the Detroit River just north of where the Ambassador Bridge is located. Divers guided each section into place in the trench, then bolted them together. Portland cement was then poured around the sections to seal them. The top of the tunnel was flush with the river bottom. The 1.6 mile long Michigan Central Railroad tunnel opened in 1910 connecting Detroit to Windsor, Ontario. It was the first immersed tube tunnel in the world to carry traffic. The tunnel was used in its original design until 1992 when the north tube was closed and expanded to accommodate higher container rail traffic.

MCRR Tunnel Sections

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Alfred Mitchel on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Alfred Mitchel.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 270 ft. length of the Alfred Mitchel.

Alfred Mitchel Built - 1900 270 ft. x 40 ft. x 25 ft. The Great Lakes freighter Alfred Mitchel was built in 1900 in the Langell Shipyard on the Pine River in St. Clair. In October 1917, the vessel was sold to J.M. Scott of Mobile, Alabama and taken to the Atlantic Coast for use in the war effort of World War I. She was shortened by cutting her fantail back to the rudder post for the canal passages. In July 1919, the Mitchel was sold to Belgian owners and renamed Ile de la Reunion.

Alfred Mitchel

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked North Lake &amp; North Star on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighters North Lake &amp; North Star.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour.  By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 373 ft. length of the North Lake and the North Star.

North Lake and North Star			Built - 1909			373 ft. x 46 ft. x 25 ft.			The North Lake and North Star were sister ships built by Great Lakes Engineering Works south of St. Clair in East China Township. Both were launched in 1909 -- the North Lake in March and the North Star in October. Built for Mutual Transit to carry package freight, the North Lake was conscripted by the U.S. Army during World War II and served in the Pacific theater. The North Lake was scrapped in Tokyo, Japan in 1954. The North Star was sold in 1954 to Belgian shipbreakers for scrap.

North Lake & North Star

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked John Mitchel on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter John Mitchel.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 440 ft. length of the John Mitchel.

John Mitchel Built - 1907 440 Ft. x 52 ft. x 28 ft. Four years after being launched in 1909, the Great Lakes freighter John Mitchell, sailing from Buffalo, New York with 7,000 tons of coal on board, was struck by the down-bound light-running steamer William H. Mack off Vermillion Point, about 15 miles west of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior. The Mitchell sank taking three lives. She was discovered by divers in 1972 lying upside down in 140 feet of water.

John Mitchel

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked George H. Russell on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter George H. Russell.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 484 ft. length of the George H. Russell.

George H. .Russell Built - 1905 484 ft. x 50 ft. x 28 ft Started by the Columbia Iron Works, the steel-hulled freighter George H. Russell was launched in 1905 into the St. Clair River by Great Lakes Engineering Works. In 1913 she was renamed the Canaopus but continued sailing the Great Lakes. In 1946 the George H. Russell was converted to an auto carrier. The freighter was scrapped in Ashtabula, Ohio in 1962. Her pilot house remains at the Inland Seas Museum in Vermillion, Ohip.

George H. Russell

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Goliath on the boardwalk represents the bow of the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 729 ft. length of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Edmund Fitzgerald			Built - 1958			729 ft. x 75 ft. x 39 ft.			Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest ship on the Great Lakes when she was launched in 1958. "Fitz" captain Peter Pulcer was known for piping music day or night over the ship's intercom while passing through the St. Clair River, the Detroit River, and the Soo Locks during the freighter's 17 years sailing the Great Lakes. The 729 ft. "Fitz" sank in 1975 during a November storm, the cruelest month for weather on the lakes. Many have learned about her demise through the lyrics of Gordon Lightfoot's 1976 hit song, "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald." The entire crew of 29 lost their lives. As the song states, "Superior never gives up her dead." The water in Lake Superior never warms up enough to have cadavers float to the surface. In the aftermath of many Great Lakes freighter tragedies like the Edmund Fitzgerald, changes were made in shipping regulations to improve ship and crew safety.

Edmund Fitzgerald

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Titanic on the boardwalk represents the bow of this famous and ill-fated ship..  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 883 ft. length of the Titanic.

Titanic			Built - 1912			883 ft. x 92.5 ft. x 104 ft.		The Titanic never sailed in the Great Lakes but we have added a plaque and information about the ship to the Tour to give a size comparison of the Titanic with several Great Lakes freighters built in the same century.

Titanic

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Stewart J. Cort on the boardwalk represents the bow point of this Great Lakes freighter.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 1000 ft. length of the Stewart J. Cort.

Stewart J. Cort			Built - 1972			1000 ft. x 106 ft. x 45 ft.			The Stewart J. Cort was the first 1,000-footer on the Great Lakes. As a full 1,000 ft. vessel, the Stewart J. Cort would have been too long to go through the lock system on the St. Lawrence Seaway so she was built in Mississippi with only the bow and stern sections. The construction length was 182 ft. x 75 ft. wide. She was nicknamed "Stubby". In Erie, Pennsylvania, "Stubby" was lengthened by adding an 818 ft. midbody. The fully-lengthened Stewart J. Cort's maiden voyage was in May 1972. Many people remember gathering along the St. Clair River to watch her go by the very first time. She is easy to spot from a distance as she is the only 1,000 footer to have her pilot house in the bow (front).

Stewart J. Cort

As you walked south from the “Starting Point” plaque to this location on the St. Clair River Boardwalk, the brass plaque marked Paul R. Tregurtha on the boardwalk represents the bow of this iconic Great Lakes freighter.  The brass plaque at the Starting Point represents the stern or back of every ship included in this walking tour. By looking back to the starting point, you are able to get an estimate of the size or 1013 ft. length of the Paul R. Tregurtha.

Paul R. Tregurtha			Built - 1981			1013 ft. x 105 ft. x 56 ft. The Paul R. Tregurtha is called the "Queen of the Lakes" because she is the longest vessel on the Great Lakes. The Paul R. Tregurtha is one of very few freighters that was built with passenger accommodations, once used to host Interlake Steamship Lines important business customers. Originally built and christened as the William J. DeLancey, she quickly received the nickname "The Fancy DeLancey." In recent years the vessel regularly carries shipments of coal to power plants around the Great Lakes but coal-fired plants are being phased out so her cargoes will likely change. Today, one can win a trip on the Paul R. Tregurtha through raffles sponsored by local civic clubs and charitable organizations.

St. Clair Freighter Walk Starting Point

Fontana

Introduction

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Backstory and Context

Sources