I have fond memories of this boat and it started me going on the nostalgia train. See below
Back in the early 60's when I was about 12 years old, our family took a Fall cruise on the wonderful ship S.S. Keewatin
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| The "DOME CAR" Of My Nostalgia Train 1960 |
My Dad was a salesman and had some business out in Fort William/Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay) so as usual, he drove out by car. Later my sister and my mother and I went there aboard the CPR train. (It was not common to fly and air travel was very expensive back then.) It was a very modern train with a new diesel-electric engine (steam was getting nearly phased out by the 60's) and featured "Dome Cars" were one could sit and watch a panoramic view of the passing scenery. Of course I explored the train completely on my own, checking out the connections between the cars and peeping into places where I shouldn't have been. I was fascinated with trains and got my first electric train set that Christmas.
When we got to Fort William we stayed at the Holiday Inn and the train tracks passed within a few feet of our window. I remember rushing out with my sister Pat to place pennies on the tracks in front of the approaching steam locomotives as they thundered by. The mammoth steam engines would flatten the coins instantly, increasing their diameter to that of a 50 cent piece. The diesel trains were too light and so the pennies were only mildly flattened. Young children nowadays would never be allowed to play unsupervised near the train tracks, but back then things were different. Somehow we lived through it!
The next day, October 31, we boarded the S.S. Keewatin and watched from the upper deck as the cars were driven on below. I can still feel the intense excitement of our first hours aboard, which to me as a little person, seemed like an immense ship. That afternoon I remember sitting in the bar lounge while my father had a beer and talked with the barman. (I remember later my Dad complaining that the drinks were way too expensive at 55¢ for a beer.) The dark stained and highly polished, ornately carved wood work was so impressive that I can still visualize it to this day.
The ship must have been fairly full because it seemed to take a very long time to load in all the cars. We heard there was a large group of travel agents on this cruise with a gala Halloween costume party and dance scheduled for the evening in the the huge ballroom in the center of the ship. The cabins; ours on the starboard side amidships, were elevated above the ballroom and you could go to an inside railing and look down to see the revelers below.
I didn't know it at the time but the name Keewatin means “blizzard of the north” in Cree. Maybe the name foreshadowed the chilly weather that October evening which was building from rainy with a stiff breeze, to a gale, whipping up the lake into huge waves. My sister and I were relegated to our cabin which was quite small and had an upper and lower bunk and small sink. The toilets and showers were down the corridor, divided as to Men and Women.
While our parents enjoyed the party, Pat and I entertained ourselves by opening the big oak door with a round porthole that leads outside to the promenade deck. We watched as the bow of the mighty ship plowed into the oncoming waves. The water then roared towards us along the walkway and we would slam the door as a few thousand gallons of water rushed past and we looked out the porthole in the door. We did this many times without event until we noticed a crew member coming and we terminated the game. We of course could have been swept away and nobody would have ever known where we went. Do you know where your children are?
The next day, about 18 hours and 260 miles since our departure, we docked at Sault Ste Marie, which was where we disembarked to drive back to our home in North Bay. The entire trip was so memorable and exciting for me at that age. I often fondly think of it.
Several years ago, Wendy and I visited the S.S. Keewatin at its berth in Douglas near Sawgatuck Michigan. It had been made into a museum by the owner who had mortgaged his home to buy the ship from the salvage company that disposed of it in 1966. We toured the Keewatin and spoke at length with the owners about my cruise aboard her as a child.
Now the old girl returns to her home in Port McNicoll. I think I might drive up to view this historical vision from the past as she comes home to her berth for the last time.
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My friend David sent this news clip about the S.S. Keewatin. And that got me going on the rest of the story.
TORONTO, June 4, 2012 /CNW/ - An illustrious and rare example of Canadian maritime history is finally coming home.
The Communications Group Inc.
416-696-9900 x. 36 / 40 / 26
deisenstadt@tcgpr.com / bmerrick@tcgpr.com / gkoleva@tcgpr.com
Touring the SS Keewatin museum today…
Have you ever wanted to see the Titanic?
Although possible at a price these days the wreck would never be like seeing the real working ship unless you went to Michigan where a stunning example of an Edwardian passenger liner floats to this day and can be visited and explored. With an identical engine, grand staircase, luxurious dining saloon, well preserved staterooms and public galleries you can experience Titanic only two hours away from Chicago. There is even a Marconi Room, identical to the one on Titanic.
In 1967 RJ Peterson from Douglas Michigan bought the SS KEEWATIN – an old Edwardian decommissioned passenger ship from the Canadian Pacific Railway Steamship Company and towed it to Lake Kalamazoo. Peterson owned a large marina in the very small lake. As luck would have it, The Corps of Engineers had dredged to 18 feet that summer and it was enough to get the 350-foot, 300-passenger ship into the harbor where it has served as a floating museum for 44 years.
The SS KEEWATIN was built in Govan Scotland in 1907. She took her sea trials in the River Clyde along side the RMS Lusitania, (sunk by a German sub which resulted in the United States joining WWI).
The SS Keewatin sailed to North America and went to work sailing between the tops of the Great Lakes on Superior to a small port just north of Toronto in Canada. From the 1800′s and into the 1950′s many ships plied the inland seas moving freight and people between west and east.
As highways improved, railways proliferated and airplanes filled the skies these behemoths of commerce slowly retired, were scrapped or in some cases sank. By the 1960′s they were essentially gone with an era of elegance and simplicity. Except the KEEWATIN, hidden as a tourist attraction in a small town, on a small lake and fed by a small river.
But now at 104 years old her big story is being told. In 1963 and 1964 a 17-year-old high school student was fortunate enough to get a summer job on the SS Keewatin. The experience changed his life and now as a retired and successful adult he has found that his stage for youthful adventure is alive and well and living in Douglas. Eric Conroy is the youngest surviving crew member from the SS Keewatin and he has written a book about what happened to him in two of his most educational summers.
It is called “A STEAK IN THE DRAWER” and it is great read about the early days of travel and a young man’s experiences’ coming of age. There are lots of pictures and a detailed description of the parts of the ship, the passengers and other crew he had contact with. All proceeds will go toward the SS KEEWATIN Restoration Fund, which this year is focused on rebuilding the Life Boats. For information call (416) 318-7186 or write…SS KEEWATIN MUSEUM PO Box 638 Douglas Michigan 49406 USA.
HISTORY
The SS Keewatin once sailed between Port Arthur / Fort William and Port McNicoll in Ontario, Canada. She carried passengers between these ports for the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Great Lakes Steamship Service. The Keewatin also carried packaged freight goods for the railway at these ports.
Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland as Hull No. 453, the Keewatin was launched 6 July 1907 and entered service in the following year. She ran continuously for almost 60 seasons, being retired in 1966.
Like many passenger ships of that era on the Great Lakes, the Keewatin and sister ship SS Assiniboia operated under stringent regulations imposed for wooden cabin steamships following the SS Noronic disaster in 1949. Doomed by their wooden cabins and superstructure, these overnight cruisers lasted through the decline of the passenger trade on the lakes in the post-war years. As passengers opted for more reliable and faster modes of travel, the Keewatin and her sister ship were withdrawn from the passenger trade in 1965, continuing in freight only service for another year.
The S.S. Keewatin was a luxurious ship for its time. The ship boasted running water and electric lights. The ship had 105 staterooms on two decks. Seven deluxe suites had private baths. The dining room had gold leaf around the ceiling, as did most of the public areas. In the Mens Lounge there are hand-carved oak paneling, the ballroom served many purposes other then being a dance area.
The Keewatin was originally designed to complete the link in the Canadian Pacific Railway’s continental route. She served this purpose by linking the Railroad’s Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay and Fort William on Lake Superior. The ship took 2 1/2 days to make the trip each way, including half a day traversing the Soo Line Railway.
.The S.S. Keewatin — the crown jewel in the Canadian Pacific Railway's once-mighty Great Lakes Steamship fleet — is being repatriated by Skyline International Development Inc. (www.skylineinvestments.com/) and will arrive at its original home in Port McNicoll, ON, June 23, 2012 as part of a community celebration.
In 2011, Skyline's Chairman and President Gil Blutrich announced an agreement with Peterson following four years of negotiation to purchase and repatriate Keewatin to its original home in Port McNicoll, where the R.J. and Diane Peterson Great Lakes and S.S. Keewatin Foundation will operate and maintain the vessel as a maritime museum. The Keewatin will be moored in a new waterfront park in Port McNicoll — steps from the original location where it was originally tied. The park will feature a replica of the town's original train station and surrounding English Royal gardens. Once there, restoration work will be completed to return the ship to her original early 20th century grandeur.
"This vessel is one of a kind," said Eric Conroy, author of the book A Steak In the Drawer, which details his experiences working on the Keewatin as a 17-year-old. Conroy, a long-time Keewatin volunteer who worked with Blutrich to negotiate her repatriation, will chair the R.J. and Diane Peterson Great Lakes and S.S. Keewatin Foundation.
Constructed five years before the ill-fated voyage of RMS Titanic, the Keewatin is the last surviving vessel in the Great Lakes Steamship fleet and features many of the same design and construction features of her cousin Titanic, including a quadruple expansion steam engine and "Scottish" boilers, as well as a grand staircase, Edwardian dining saloon, hand painted Italian glass and oak trim throughout. Strict regulations were imposed on wooden cabin steamships on the Great Lakes after the 1949 S.S. Noronic fire disaster killed 118 passengers and one crew member, making the financial viability of the overnight cruiser difficult. New modes of transportation also made the vessel largely obsolete.
Launched July 6, 1907, the Keewatin was retired in 1966 after almost 60 seasons ferrying passengers from Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay, to Port Arthur (Thunder Bay) on Lake Superior.
Built by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland as Hull No. 453, the 350-foot long Keewatin carried 288 passengers with a crew of 86, and cruised at a top speed of 14 knots. Along with her sister ship S.S. Assiniboia, Keewatin was the first Great Lakes ship to boast radar.
For further information: David Eisenstadt / Beth Merrick / Gea KolevaThe Communications Group Inc.
416-696-9900 x. 36 / 40 / 26
deisenstadt@tcgpr.com / bmerrick@tcgpr.com / gkoleva@tcgpr.com
Touring the SS Keewatin museum today…
Have you ever wanted to see the Titanic?
Although possible at a price these days the wreck would never be like seeing the real working ship unless you went to Michigan where a stunning example of an Edwardian passenger liner floats to this day and can be visited and explored. With an identical engine, grand staircase, luxurious dining saloon, well preserved staterooms and public galleries you can experience Titanic only two hours away from Chicago. There is even a Marconi Room, identical to the one on Titanic.
In 1967 RJ Peterson from Douglas Michigan bought the SS KEEWATIN – an old Edwardian decommissioned passenger ship from the Canadian Pacific Railway Steamship Company and towed it to Lake Kalamazoo. Peterson owned a large marina in the very small lake. As luck would have it, The Corps of Engineers had dredged to 18 feet that summer and it was enough to get the 350-foot, 300-passenger ship into the harbor where it has served as a floating museum for 44 years.
The SS KEEWATIN was built in Govan Scotland in 1907. She took her sea trials in the River Clyde along side the RMS Lusitania, (sunk by a German sub which resulted in the United States joining WWI).
The SS Keewatin sailed to North America and went to work sailing between the tops of the Great Lakes on Superior to a small port just north of Toronto in Canada. From the 1800′s and into the 1950′s many ships plied the inland seas moving freight and people between west and east.
As highways improved, railways proliferated and airplanes filled the skies these behemoths of commerce slowly retired, were scrapped or in some cases sank. By the 1960′s they were essentially gone with an era of elegance and simplicity. Except the KEEWATIN, hidden as a tourist attraction in a small town, on a small lake and fed by a small river.
But now at 104 years old her big story is being told. In 1963 and 1964 a 17-year-old high school student was fortunate enough to get a summer job on the SS Keewatin. The experience changed his life and now as a retired and successful adult he has found that his stage for youthful adventure is alive and well and living in Douglas. Eric Conroy is the youngest surviving crew member from the SS Keewatin and he has written a book about what happened to him in two of his most educational summers.
It is called “A STEAK IN THE DRAWER” and it is great read about the early days of travel and a young man’s experiences’ coming of age. There are lots of pictures and a detailed description of the parts of the ship, the passengers and other crew he had contact with. All proceeds will go toward the SS KEEWATIN Restoration Fund, which this year is focused on rebuilding the Life Boats. For information call (416) 318-7186 or write…SS KEEWATIN MUSEUM PO Box 638 Douglas Michigan 49406 USA.
HISTORY
The SS Keewatin once sailed between Port Arthur / Fort William and Port McNicoll in Ontario, Canada. She carried passengers between these ports for the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Great Lakes Steamship Service. The Keewatin also carried packaged freight goods for the railway at these ports.
Built by Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Scotland as Hull No. 453, the Keewatin was launched 6 July 1907 and entered service in the following year. She ran continuously for almost 60 seasons, being retired in 1966.
Like many passenger ships of that era on the Great Lakes, the Keewatin and sister ship SS Assiniboia operated under stringent regulations imposed for wooden cabin steamships following the SS Noronic disaster in 1949. Doomed by their wooden cabins and superstructure, these overnight cruisers lasted through the decline of the passenger trade on the lakes in the post-war years. As passengers opted for more reliable and faster modes of travel, the Keewatin and her sister ship were withdrawn from the passenger trade in 1965, continuing in freight only service for another year.
The S.S. Keewatin was a luxurious ship for its time. The ship boasted running water and electric lights. The ship had 105 staterooms on two decks. Seven deluxe suites had private baths. The dining room had gold leaf around the ceiling, as did most of the public areas. In the Mens Lounge there are hand-carved oak paneling, the ballroom served many purposes other then being a dance area.
The Keewatin was originally designed to complete the link in the Canadian Pacific Railway’s continental route. She served this purpose by linking the Railroad’s Port McNicoll on Georgian Bay and Fort William on Lake Superior. The ship took 2 1/2 days to make the trip each way, including half a day traversing the Soo Line Railway.
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Old movie about the Keewatin and her sistership Assiniboia
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I rode on the SS Keewatin in October 1960. That's nearly 52 years ago... Wow!
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