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==History==
==History==
===Railroad ferry===
===Railroad ferry===
The ''SS Chief Wawatam'' was designed by Great Lakes marine architect [[Frank E. Kirby]]. She was launched in [[Toledo, Ohio]], by the [[Toledo Shipbuilding Company]] on 26 August 1911, and went into service for the [[Mackinac Transportation Company]] on 18 October 1911. The Mackinac Transportation Company was a joint venture of the [[Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway]], the [[Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad]], and the [[Michigan Central Railroad]], the three railroads that serviced the Straits of Mackinac. The vessel could carry up to 25 railroad cars on rails bolted to the ferry ship's deck. The first part of ''SS Chief Wawatam's'' history is that while its main purpose was as a train service to carry railroad cars, it also carried passengers as a cruise ship.<ref name="St. Ignace News"/>
The ''SS Chief Wawatam'' was designed by Great Lakes marine architect [[Frank E. Kirby]]. She was launched in [[Toledo, Ohio]], by the [[Toledo Shipbuilding Company]] on 26 August 1911, and went into service for the [[Mackinac Transportation Company]] on 18 October 1911. The Mackinac Transportation Company was a joint venture of the [[Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway]], the [[Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad]], and the [[Michigan Central Railroad]], the three railroads that serviced the Straits of Mackinac.<ref name="St. Ignace News"/>

The vessel could carry 18 to 26 railroad cars depending on their sizes. They were on rails bolted to the ferry ship's deck. The first part of ''SS Chief Wawatam's'' history is that while its main purpose was as a train service to carry railroad cars, it also carried passenger train cars, automobiles, soldiers, and passengers for cruising. The ship's name was often shortened to just ''the Chief'' in common usage when spoken about.<ref name=Mac_Parks>{{cite web |url= |title= Chief Wawatam Archival Collection |last1= |first1= |year= 2021|website= Mackinac State Historic Parks|publisher= State of Michigann |access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>


Year-round train ferry service in the Straits of Mackinac was a significant challenge because of the heavy [[ice]] buildup experienced by these straits in winter. The ''SS Chief Wawatam'' was designed to break ice floes with her bow [[propeller]], which could both maneuver the boat and suck water out from underneath the ice to enable it to be broken through force of gravity.<ref name=HMdb1>{{cite web |url= https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=140007 |title= The Chief Dock Kiosk |last1= |first1= |year= 2019|website= Historical Marker data base|publisher= The Historical Marker Database organization |access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>
Year-round train ferry service in the Straits of Mackinac was a significant challenge because of the heavy [[ice]] buildup experienced by these straits in winter. The ''SS Chief Wawatam'' was designed to break ice floes with her bow [[propeller]], which could both maneuver the boat and suck water out from underneath the ice to enable it to be broken through force of gravity.<ref name=HMdb1>{{cite web |url= https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=140007 |title= The Chief Dock Kiosk |last1= |first1= |year= 2019|website= Historical Marker data base|publisher= The Historical Marker Database organization |access-date=14 January 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Statue of Chief Wawatam.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of Ojibwa Chief Wawatam in Mackinaw City, Michigan]]
[[File:Statue of Chief Wawatam.jpg|thumb|right|Statue of Ojibwa Chief Wawatam in Mackinaw City, Michigan]]
[[File:Chief Wawatam.JPG|thumb|right|Image of the SS Chief Wawatam from a 1912 advertisement for the Toledo Shipbuilding Company]]
[[File:Chief Wawatam.JPG|thumb|right|Image of the SS Chief Wawatam from a 1912 advertisement for the Toledo Shipbuilding Company]]
The ''Chief Wawatam'' was 338 feet in length, had a beam of 62 feet, and had a draft of 20.7 feet. Her three propellers, two in the stern and one on the bow, were driven by coal-fired [[triple-expansion]] [[steam engine]]s. The ''Chief'' is believed to have been the last hand-fired, coal-burning boat in commercial service on the [[Great Lakes]]. Other coal-burning vessels that survived longer in revenue service, such as the {{SS|Badger}}, had automatic [[Mechanical stoker|stokers]].<ref name=Railfan1974>{{cite journal |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1974 |title=Volume 1 |url=|journal= Railfan |pages= 46|access-date=}}</ref>
The ''Chief Wawatam'' was 338 feet in length, had a beam of 62 feet, and had a draft of 20.7 feet. Her three propellers, two in the stern and one on the bow, were driven by coal-fired [[triple-expansion]] [[steam engine]]s. The vessel is believed to have been the last hand-fired, coal-burning boat in commercial service on the [[Great Lakes]]. Other coal-burning vessels that survived longer in revenue service, such as the {{SS|Badger}}, had automatic [[Mechanical stoker|stokers]].<ref name=Railfan1974>{{cite journal |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=1974 |title=Volume 1 |url=|journal= Railfan |pages= 46|access-date=}}</ref>


===Name===
===Name===

Revision as of 11:43, 15 January 2022

SS Chief Wawatam
SS Chief Wawatam loading a passenger train at Mackinaw City
History
NameSS Chief Wawatam
NamesakeChief Wawatam
OperatorMackinac Transportation Company
RouteMackinaw City to St. Ignace, Michigan
BuilderToledo Shipbuilding Company
Cost$400,000[1]
Yard numberHull number 119
LaunchedAugust 26, 1911
In serviceOctober 1911
Out of service1984
Identification
FateCut down to barge in 1989; scrapped 2009 by Purvis Marine
General characteristics
Tonnage2,990 tons
Length338 ft (103.02 m)
Beam62 ft (18.90 m)
Installed powerSix hand-fired, coal-burning steam boilers,
Propulsionthree triple-expansion steam engines, total 4,500 hp (3.36 MW). Three propellors: one forward, two aft
Capacity26 freight cars on three tracks

SS Chief Wawatam was a coal-fired train ferry and icebreaker that operated year-round in the Straits of Mackinac between 1911–1984. It not only carried train cars, but was also a passenger cruise ship for a good portion of its history. Her home port was St. Ignace, Michigan, and she shuttled back and forth during her entire working life between that port and Mackinaw City, Michigan. The vessel was named after a distinguished Ojibwa chief of the 1700s. A wooden statue of the chief stands near the harbor in Mackinaw City.

History

Railroad ferry

The SS Chief Wawatam was designed by Great Lakes marine architect Frank E. Kirby. She was launched in Toledo, Ohio, by the Toledo Shipbuilding Company on 26 August 1911, and went into service for the Mackinac Transportation Company on 18 October 1911. The Mackinac Transportation Company was a joint venture of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad, and the Michigan Central Railroad, the three railroads that serviced the Straits of Mackinac.[1]

The vessel could carry 18 to 26 railroad cars depending on their sizes. They were on rails bolted to the ferry ship's deck. The first part of SS Chief Wawatam's history is that while its main purpose was as a train service to carry railroad cars, it also carried passenger train cars, automobiles, soldiers, and passengers for cruising. The ship's name was often shortened to just the Chief in common usage when spoken about.[2]

Year-round train ferry service in the Straits of Mackinac was a significant challenge because of the heavy ice buildup experienced by these straits in winter. The SS Chief Wawatam was designed to break ice floes with her bow propeller, which could both maneuver the boat and suck water out from underneath the ice to enable it to be broken through force of gravity.[3]

Statue of Ojibwa Chief Wawatam in Mackinaw City, Michigan
Image of the SS Chief Wawatam from a 1912 advertisement for the Toledo Shipbuilding Company

The Chief Wawatam was 338 feet in length, had a beam of 62 feet, and had a draft of 20.7 feet. Her three propellers, two in the stern and one on the bow, were driven by coal-fired triple-expansion steam engines. The vessel is believed to have been the last hand-fired, coal-burning boat in commercial service on the Great Lakes. Other coal-burning vessels that survived longer in revenue service, such as the SS Badger, had automatic stokers.[4]

Name

The vessel was named after an Ojibwa chief of the 1700s; he was said to have rescued trader Alexander Henry during the Ojibwa uprising at Michilimackinac in 1763. A wooden statue of the chief stands near the harbor in Mackinaw City, Michigan, in Wawatam Park. It was carved by Jerry Prior from a one-hundred-year-old white pine log.[5][6]

Life of the crew

Sleeping quarters

The SS Chief Wawatam's' could carry up to 348 passengers and had a hotel services staff of 30 people in addition to the 24 crew members that just operated the vessel. That made a full crew of 54 people who had their own sleeping quarters that consisted of bunk beds stacked four high. Later in the history as a cruise ship these four high stacked bunk beds were made into two high bunk beds. Sometimes the lower bunk bed was three mattress thick and they developed a deep valley from usage. The officers of the ship had their own sleeping quarters that were luxurious.[3]

Eating area

During the height of SS Chief Wawatam's passenger history the vessel had maids, cooks, and porters. The main eating gallery was closed in 1966 and the normal included meals were replaced with lunch buckets taken from home. There were two eating areas for the crew and a separate dining room for the ship's captain and his officers. The food prepared in all three eating areas was the same daily, however the service in the dining room was better. The main meal of the day was at noon. An experienced cook had to bake the pies before the boat was loaded on the back and forth trips.[3]

Misc

Most of the crew of the SS Chief Wawatam were from the city of St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They knew each other as local residents and close friends. During times of distress and illness they would cover each other's work time. The pilot house crew and engine room crew kept logs of their work times. It was the purser officer that kept track of and ordered all the supplies for the ship.[3]

There was always a lot of cleaning to do on the various parts of the ship. In addition laundry was a time consuming choir with a home-devised washing machine that was run by unique mechanics powered off the ships engine. The washed cloths were then hung on a line over the warm engine room for drying.[3]

Relics

Need by train ferry service for the Straits of Mackinac declined following construction of the Mackinac Bridge in 1957. The railroad car ferry service at the Straits of Mackinac ended in 1984 and the SS Chief Wawatam lay in mothballs for several years in Cheboygan and Mackinaw City. She was taken to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, in 1989 and broken down to serve as a barge. It was reported at the end of 2009 that this barge was being scrapped. The vessel was part of one of the last survivor ships of the Great Storm of 1913.[7]

One of the ships triple-expansion engines was saved and after being restored in 2005 to operating condition was placed on display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.[8] Other artifacts from the ferry, including the whistle, wheel, telegraphs, and furniture are preserved by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission in Mackinaw City.[9]

Legacy

  • Wawatam Park, located next to the marina in St. Ignace, Michigan is named for the SS Chief Wawatam and its Odawa namesake.
  • Wawatam Lighthouse, a 52 ft (16 m) octagonal structure with lantern and gallery in St. Ignace, Michigan, located at the end of the former railroad ferry pier was used by the SS Chief Wawatam.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Chief Arrives at Straits". St. Ignace News. St. Ignace, Mich. October 13, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "Chief Wawatam Archival Collection". Mackinac State Historic Parks. State of Michigann. 2021. {{cite web}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Missing or empty |url= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e "The Chief Dock Kiosk". Historical Marker data base. The Historical Marker Database organization. 2019. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  4. ^ "Volume 1". Railfan: 46. 1974.
  5. ^ Hickerson, Harold (2022). "WAWATAM, Ojibwa chief at Michilimackinac; fl. 1762–64". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. University of Toronto. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  6. ^ "History Carved in Wood". Mackinaw City. Official Mackinaw area visitors bureau. 2022. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  7. ^ Eppley, Jonathan (2009-11-12). "Chief Wawatam Scrapped". St. Ignace News. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  8. ^ Kirby, Doug (2022). "Manitoc, Wisconsin: Chief Wawatam Engine and Submarine". RoadsideAmerica.com. Roadside America. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  9. ^ LaBarre, George (2022). "Michigan Central Railroad Company". LaBarre Galleries. George H. LaBarre. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  10. ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved September 18, 2015.

Further reading

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