''Col. James M. Schoonmaker'', formerly ''Willis B. Boyer'', is a
lake freighter
Lake freighters, or lakers, are bulk carrier vessels that operate on the Great Lakes of North America. These vessels are traditionally called boats, although classified as ships.
Since the late 19th century, lakers have carried bulk cargoes of ma ...
that served as a commercial vessel on the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...
for much of the 20th century. Named for Medal of Honor recipient
James Martinus Schoonmaker
James Martinus Schoonmaker, Sr. (June 30, 1842 – October 11, 1927) was a German American colonel in the Union Army in the American Civil War and a vice-president of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. He received the Medal of Honor for g ...
, it is currently a
museum ship in
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...
.
History
![Schoonmaker1911](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Schoonmaker1911.jpg)
The steamship ''Col. James M. Schoonmaker'' began life on 1 July 1911 at the
Great Lakes Engineering Works in
Ecorse, Michigan
Ecorse ( ') is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 9,512 at the 2010 census.
Ecorse is part of the Downriver community within Metro Detroit. The city shares a northwestern border with the city of Detroit ...
. At the time of her launch she took the title of
Queen of the Lakes
''Queen of the Lakes'' is the unofficial but widely recognized title given to the longest vessel active on the Great Lakes of the United States and Canada. A number of vessels, mostly lake freighters, have been known by the title.
History of name ...
which is given to the biggest ship on the
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lak ...
. She became the flagship of the Shenango Furnace Company. She broke many cargo records for iron ore, grain and coal in her first year. She was powered by a triple expansion steam engine which was replaced by a steam turbine in 1955. She sailed as part of the Shenango fleet until 1969 when she was sold to the
Interlake Steamship Company who chartered ''Col James M. Schoonmaker'' to the
Republic Steel Corporation
Republic Steel is an American steel manufacturer that was once the country's third largest steel producer. It was founded as the Republic Iron and Steel Company in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899. After rising to prominence during the early 20th Centu ...
. After a three-year charter to that company Interlake decided to sell her to the
Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company, who renamed the ship ''Willis B. Boyer'' after the company's president. They operated the laker for 7 years in the iron trade until she was laid up in 1980 due to a downturn in the steel industry. After sitting unwanted for 7 years, the city of
Toledo decided to purchase her for use as a museum. She sat as the centerpiece of the International Park in that city for several decades before being rechristened back to her original name ''Col. James M. Schoonmaker'' and being moved one last time to the site of the
National Museum of the Great Lakes on the banks of the
Maumee River in Toledo.
Description
![Toledo freighters (Buckley, Boyer)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Toledo_freighters_%28Buckley%2C_Boyer%29.jpg)
''Col. James M. Schoonmaker'' is long overall. She has a beam of and a depth of over . Her carrying capacity is 12,200 gross tons at draft. A unique feature of the ship is inside her pilothouse. She was one of the few ships on the Great Lakes to have twin steering wheels. The starboard is the main wheel while the other was an auxiliary. As the flagship of the company for many years she was fitted with many features a normal laker would not have. She was fitted with 5 luxury guest suites in the bow of the ship. One of the guests was
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...
, whose many business interests coincided with the ship's cargoes. She also carried a guest lounge and dining room for the comfort of passengers.
''Col. James M. Schoonmaker'' was one of several dozen vessels based on the influential design of the
''J. Pierpont Morgan'' - known as the ''"
600 footers"''.
[
]
Museum ship
On 17 December 2009 the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority Board of Directors authorized a Memorandum of Understanding with the Great Lakes Historical Society of Vermilion, Ohio, for the creation of the National Museum of the Great Lakes at the Toledo Maritime Center.
''Willis B. Boyer'' was repainted in her Shenango Furnace fleet livery and, on 1 July 2011, rechristened back to her original name, ''Col. James M. Schoonmaker''. In October 2012, ''Col. James M. Schoonmaker'' was towed by tugs downriver to her new berth next to the museum. The museum opened in spring 2014.
See also
* James Martinus Schoonmaker
James Martinus Schoonmaker, Sr. (June 30, 1842 – October 11, 1927) was a German American colonel in the Union Army in the American Civil War and a vice-president of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. He received the Medal of Honor for g ...
* SS ''William G. Mather'' Maritime Museum The Schoonmaker's sister ship at one time, now a museum ship in Cleveland, Ohio
References
External links
Col. James M. Schoonmaker Museum Ship
{{DEFAULTSORT:Col. James M. Schoonmaker
Merchant ships of the United States
Museum ships in Ohio
Museums in Toledo, Ohio
1911 ships
Ships built in Ecorse, Michigan
Queen of the Lakes
Great Lakes freighters
Lake Erie
Toledo, Ohio