Flint & Pere Marquette No. 4 was operated by the F&PM Railway.
LUDINGTON — The Mason County Historical Society’s annual gala will celebrate the sesquicentennial of Ludington cross-lake service. The fund-raising event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 13 at the Stearns Hotel in downtown Ludington. Doors open at 6 p.m. with dinner served at 6:30 p.m. Dancing will be from 8:30 to 10 p.m. The event will also feature historical presentations and skits, live and silent auctions, and some surprise guests and activities.
The cost is $75 per person. Table sponsorships are also available (see below).
The Flint & Pere Marquette Railway reached Ludington in December 1874. By 1875, the railroad had begun shipping freight across Lake Michigan, first to Sheboygan, Wis. then to Milwaukee. The first boats to cross the lake were known as break-bulk boats, because the freight was removed from railcars, loaded onto the vessels, then re-loaded on the other shore. The service evolved into the car ferry service in 1897 when the railroad purchased its first vessel capable of carrying railcars, the S.S. Pere Marquette (later known as the Pere Marquette 15).
Tickets for event can be purchased here.
Table sponsorships:
Lumber Barons: $5,000 — name recognition on tables, designated tables near the podium, up to eight tickets to the gala, recognition on the MCHS website and start of gala, recognition at MCHS annual meeting.
Bankers: $2,500 — name recognition on table, designated table near podium, up to six tickets to the gala, recognition on the MCHS website and start of gala, recognition at MCHS annual meeting.
Ship Captains: $1,000 – preferred seating, up to four tickets to the gala, recognition on the MCHS website and at MCHS annual meeting.
Merchants: $500 – Up to two tickets to the gala, recognition on the MCHS website and at MCHS annual meeting.
To become a table sponsor, click here.
The Mason County Historical Society is a non-profit charitable organization that was founded in 1937 that does not receive any governmental funding. It owns and operates the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum in Ludington, Historic White Pine Village in Pere Marquette Township, and The Rose Hawley Archives and the Mason County Emporium and Sweet Shop in downtown Ludington.
For more information about donating to and/or joining the Mason County Historical Society, visit masoncountymihistory.org.
The S.S. City of Ludington was one of the first break-bulk vessels to operate out of Ludington.
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