Ruth Hindman with Mary E. Hindman

Who am I?

Thanks to Jim for not only identifying the ship but the barge as well! The ship is the Ruth Hindman. The American Ship Building Company in Lorain, Ohio built her in 1908 as a fire tug. The ship was originally named the William A. McGonagle. In 1935, the tug was sold to the Pigeon Timber Company of Fort William, Ontario and renamed the Marguerite W. The vessel was again sold in 1953, this time to the Hindman Transportation Company who renamed her the Ruth Hindman. The ship was renamed the Lynda Hindman in 1965 and sold to the Siddall Fisheries in 1966. The tug was scrapped later that year. The barge is the Mary E. Hindman and was built in 1941 by the St. Louis Shipbuilding and Steel Company. She was launched as the WS 304 and served the Hindman fleet from 1952 to 1956. The barge was abandoned in 1969 due to poor hull condition.

B.A. Peerless

Who am I?

Research has identified the ship as the B.A. Peerless. The tanker was built in 1952 for British American Oil Company at the Collingwood Shipyards. The vessel was shortened in 1959. The ship was sold to Gulf Oil Canada, Ltd. in 1969 and was renamed the Gulf Canada. In 1984, the ship was again sold, this time to Coastal Canada Marine Inc. who named it the Costal Canada. The ship was scrapped in 1990. If you wish to see a color photo of the B.A. Peerless, please click here.

General Ludlow

Who am I?

Thanks to Jim for identifying the vessel being towed as the General Ludlow. The scow was built in 1904 by the Johnston Brothers for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The vessel went through several owners before being acquired in 1940 by Leigh C. Merrill of Algonac, Michigan. At that time, the General Ludlow was rebuilt as a dredge. Merrill sold the dredge in 1964. The vessel was renamed the Pointe Hennepin in 1969 and removed from documentation in 1972. The tug towing the General Ludlow remains a Mystery Ship!

Santa Alicia / Santa Regina

Who am I?

The St. Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959. Upon hearing this announcement, the Grace Line applied for and obtained an approval to operate a Great Lakes route. This proved to be a financial disaster for the company and the route was given up after one season. Two of the ships that the Grace Line operated on the Great Lakes were the Santa Alicia and the Santa Regina. The Santa Alicia began life in 1945 as the Coringa. She was built under the auspices of the U.S. War Department and went through several owners before coming to the Grace Line in 1957. She was sold in 1960 and scrapped in 1969. The Santa Regina began life much the same way as her sister ship. She was built under the auspices of the U.S. War Department as the John Land in 1943. The vessel served in World War II and received five battle stars. After the war, she went through several owners before coming to the Grace Line in 1957. She was sold in 1961 and scrapped in 1969.

Finland

Who am I?

Recently, Ted Wilush corrected the misidentification of this Mystery Ship. The ship had been previously identified as the John B. Cowle (2). The ship is actually the Finland which like the John B. Cowle (2) sailed under the colors of Republic Steel. The ship was built by the Detroit Ship Building Company and launched as the Harry Coulby in 1906. The ship was sold to the Great Lakes Steamship Company in 1911 and renamed the Finland in 1927. In 1969 the ship was renamed the Peter Robertson. The ship was sold to Marine Salvage, Ltd. in 1975 and was to be scrapped. However she was renamed the Marinsal and returned to service in 1978. The ship was finally scrapped in 1980. If you wish to see a color picture of the Finland, please click here.

Makaweli

Who am I?

Thanks to Daniel of Rimouski, Quebec, Canada for identifying the ship as the Makaweli. The vessel was named the Cowee when it was launched in 1919. In 1922, the ship was sold to the Matson Navigation Company of San Francisco, California and renamed the Makaweli. On December 7, 1941 while at port in Pearl Harbor, the ship was damaged during the attack. In 1946, the ship came to the Great Lakes when the vessel was sold to Lakeland Tankers Limited of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The ship continued to service the Lakes until it was scrapped in 1967. If you would like to learn more about the Makaweli, please click here.

Algosteel (1)

Who am I?

Thanks to The Rock for providing clues that led to the ship being identified as the Algosteel (1). The ship was named the Thomas Barlum when it was launched in 1907. In 1935, the ship became part of the Algoma Central & Hudson Bay Railroad Company fleet and was renamed the Algosteel. During a 1967 inspection, the vessel was found to be in need of repair. The repair was deemed to be too costly and the ship was sunk as a breakwater at Burns Harbor, Indiana. If you would like to see a color photo of the Algosteel (1) taken by William Lafferty in 1962, please click here.

M/S Helga Smith

Who am I?

Thanks to Tom Jones of Sweden for identifying the ship as the
M/S Helga Smith. The cargo ship was launched in Sweden in 1947. The ship was sold to Panama in 1956 and renamed the Michigan. In 1966, the ship was again sold, this time to Greece and renamed the Nissos Psara. The ship was renamed the Medatlantic in 1970. In 1973, the ship suffered a fire in the engine room and was scrapped a year later. If you would like to see a clearer picture of the M/S Helga Smith, please click here.

Prescott

Who am I?

Thanks to Ted Wilush for identifying the ship as the Prescott. The ship was built by the Detroit Ship Building Company and launched in 1903 as the Western Star. The ship was acquired by the Cadillac Steamship Company in 1912. On September 24, 1915 the ship struck Robertson Rock in Georgian Bay. After a lengthy repair the ship was sold to the Great Lakes Transportation Company in 1918 and renamed the Glenisla. The Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd. bought the ship in 1926 and renamed her the Prescott. The Prescott then sailed the Great Lakes for another 35 years before being scrapped in 1963.

Mystery Ship

Who am I?

Mystery Ship

Who am I?

Thanks to The Rock and MikeM for providing clues that may eventually lead to the identification of this Mystery Ship. The stack symbol indicates that the tug belongs to the U.S. Army Corps Of Engineers. The bow reads “Corps Of Engineers.” Unfortunately, that isn’t the name of the vessel as many Army tugs were marked in this manner. However, research indicates that it is one of four tugs: LT-4 Major Wilbur F. Browder, LT-5 Major Elisha K. Henson, LT-7 Major George W. Hovey or LT-18 Major Emil H. Block. Since all four tugs are nearly identical in appearance, this vessel, for now, will remain a Mystery Ship.