PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF MICHIGAN
One of the few remaining freighters built before 1950 plying the great lakes, the 78-year old, 620-foot Mississagi recently made her final voyage up Lake Huron to a Canadian Scrapyard, reports mlive.com. The industrious freighter has carried numerous loads over the years, everything from iron ore and salt to wheat — her final load on her last journey through the Soo Locks in January.
Launched mid WWII, Mississagi was originally christened the George A. Sloan and built for $22 million by the Great Lakes Engineering Works in River Rouge. In her early years, she carried iron ore and other cargo for U.S. steel fleets, and was renamed the Mississagi after being sold to Lower Lakes Towing of Port Dover, Ontario, in 2001.
A frequent sight on the Saginaw River, the freighter survived multiple near disasters, gaining following and recognition due to her longevity and frequent sightings, like most of the few remaining pre-1950s ships navigating the Great Lakes.
“She was a busy boat right up to the end,” said Roger LeLievre, editor and publisher of the annual “Know Your Ships” guide to Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway boat-watching, reports mlive.com. “She hauled a lot of salt in her final years, which really does eat away at the innards of those things.”
