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Ecorse, Michigan, circa 1906. "Great Lakes Engineering Works." Another view of this bustling shipyard on the Detroit River. Detroit Publishing Co. View full size.
By my count, at least 29 vessels (ranging from barges to large freighters) built by the Great Lakes Engineering Works between 1904 and 1960 remain extant. The oldest may be the former Detroit River trainferry Detroit, launched 12 November 1904 and, as of last year, waiting to be scrapped at Sandwich, Ontario. Amazingly, the 552-foot St. Marys Challenger, launched 17 February 1906 by GLEW as the William P. Snyder, is still in operation primarily on Lake Michigan hauling cement from Charlevoix, Michigan, primarily to Chicago, Milwaukee, and Grand Haven, and is still steam-powered, although not by her original triple expansion steam engine. At least nine other freighters built by GLEW are currently in operation, self-propelled or as barges, on the Great Lakes.
You already posted this pic on July 13th.
[It's the same shipyard, but not the same photo. - Dave]
I do believe I see some of those lunch boxes... in use. Center of pic.
but the ships these scurrying workers built are almost all likely long scrapped.
Judging by the number of people in view and on the move, I'll bet somebody just called "LUNCH!!!"
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