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The Saint Claire - the Detroit River
This one was a real treat for me, and I hope some of you also find it a real treat.
Anyone who knows American industrial history knows how significant the river ships were to the development of much of the nation. From the paddle-wheelers to the steamships, this industry shaped and broke many parts of the United States. The Ohio & Erie Canal was built because of this booming industry, and many towns on the line died as the industry did.
Over the years, more and more of these ships were decommissioned, turned to scrap, and forgotten. Of the steam ships known as Bob-Lo boats, the ones that made the trip up and down the Detroit River in between the United States and Canada, only two are left. Much like the ships known to go up and down the Ohio, they've all but vanished. One of the remaining ships is the Saint Claire.
In August of 2005, my boyfriend Leo took me to Windsor, Ontario for my birthday. While walking down the boardwalk one day, we came across a piece of international history, the Saint Claire. Chatting with one of the volunteers we found out that the Saint Claire and her sister ship were found about a decade ago rotting in a dry dock in Detroit. The Ste. Claire got lucky and was bought and is being painstakingly restored. When we met up with her, she wasn't looking as bad as she could have, but she's still a long way from being done. These are all exterior shots, as we were unable to get a personalized tour (the volunteer didn't have the key). The Ste. Claire is lucky, as she should have her original boiler repaired within a year to where she can go under her own power. The day after these pictures were taken, I was lucky enough to watch the Ste. Claire go back down the Detroit River thanks to two tug boats back to her dry dock where she would continue to be restored during the winter months. For more information on the Bob-Lo steamers, and specifically the restoration of the Saint Claire, please visit www.bobloboat.com.
Some of the pictures were taken by my friend Dave with my camera while I was talking to the restoration volunteer, so big thanks to him for those. See if you can spot me in some of the pictures :-). As always, click the pics for a larger view (in a new window) and mouse over the caption for a brief description of the photo or anything interesting we felt you should know. **NOTE: The caption links are pop-ups!
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