Named for the Ojibwa Chief Wawatam who saved the life of English fur trader Alexander Henry after the Massacre at Fort Michilimackinac. The CHIEF WAWATAM operated as a railroad, passenger, and car ferry between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, Michigan. It began operation in 1911 for the Mackinac Transportation Company to haul rail road cars across the Straits of Mackinac. She was coal fired and had three triple expansion engines, two in the stern and one in the bow to power a propeller for ice breaking. Aside from carrying rail cars, CHIEF WAWATAM was used as an ice breaker during the winter months until 1943 when the Coast Guard cutter MACKINAW was put into service. The rail business declined by half in the fifties but the Chief kept on working. During the 60's the Mackinac Transportation Company petitioned the ICC to abandon the service, but was refused. The state of Michigan began to subsidize the Chief in 1976. In 1984 the dock at St. Ignace collapsed and spelled the end of ferry service across the Straits.
Photo by Duane Bastian
Although efforts were made to preserve her, the Chief was sold to Purvis Marine in 1988 to use as a barge. She was stripped down. Some fittings were given to local museums. One of the engines was restored and is in a museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Purvis Marine recently donated another engine to CHIEF WAWATAMs home port of St. Ignace. If you are taking a Soo Lock Boat tour, when you get up to the Algoma Steel Mill, keep your eyes open for a nearly 100 year old flat decked barge with the name CHIEF WAWATAM.
LOA 338'
Beam 62'
2 comments:
I Love what you are doing here.
I am Brian "Bullet" Tromblay - Now of Arizona.
Son of Leonard "Cap" and Carol Tromblay of St. Ignace and Rudyard, MI.
My Wife and Two Daughters' love Arizona, but our trips back home to "Da U.P." really sealed the deal for them to truly understand the man they love (ME Eh?!).
My Grandfather - Alex Tromblay was one of the Captains' on the Chief.
Keep up the Great Work Eh?!
Thanks Bullet, I too love the Straits area and the U.P. My Grandparents lived in Michigan and we would travel to the U.P.and camp. We still try to make it up as often as we can, as i am also landlocked. Thanks again. As I was once told, You can't say Yoopers aren't nice.
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