Shipwright’s son William Barnett commanded freighters, carferries

September 26, 2026

Capt. William Barnett. Photo from Sable Points Media Historical Photograph Collection.

This Great Lakes History Log is presented by Filer Credit Union, the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum and Sable Points Media.

Masters of the Ludington Steamers

Stories of Ludington’s cross-lake rail fleet captains and other port mariners

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief

When Capt. William James Barnett died suddenly at his home in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on April 10, 1936, he was remembered as more than a retired Great Lakes captain.

Barnett had become one of Kenosha’s leading advocates for harbor development and was president of the Kenosha Harbor Commission. The Kenosha Evening News credited his long experience on the lakes with giving him an understanding of harbor conditions throughout the region — knowledge he eventually turned toward improving his adopted hometown.

It was the final chapter of a maritime life that had begun nearly seven decades earlier on the opposite side of Lake Michigan.

William James Barnett was born Nov. 24, 1867, in Michigan, the son of Alexander and Catharine Patterson Barnett.

His father, Alexander, was born in Arbroath, Scotland, in 1840 and spent several years as an apprentice shipwright on the River Clyde before immigrating to Detroit in 1862. During the Civil War, he worked in naval shipyards at Newport News and Norfolk, Virginia.

F&PM No. 2. Photo from Sable Points Media Historical Photograph Collection.

The family moved to Grand Haven in 1872, where Alexander became associated with the T.W. Kirby shipyard. William therefore grew up in a shipbuilding family in one of Lake Michigan’s busiest ports.

Barnett went to sea as a young man and reportedly received his captain’s papers while still in his early 20s. By the late 1890s, he was master of the steam barge Mary A. McGregor, a vessel built at Grand Haven.

His personal life also began early. On Dec. 3, 1886, 19-year-old Barnett married Janet Clark in Grand Haven. Their son, William Scott Barnett, was born May 5, 1887, and was their only known child.

By the turn of the century, Barnett had become part of the Pere Marquette railroad steamship operation based at Ludington.

Records from December 1900 show Barnett serving as first mate aboard F&PM No. 2 under Capt. John J. Doyle. That assignment might appear to conflict with records identifying Barnett as a captain during the same period, but the Ludington Record explained that reduced winter operations had left fewer commands available. Barnett and Capt. Neil McIsaac temporarily accepted first mate positions until spring.

Other records confirm that Barnett was indeed one of the vessel’s masters.

Records preserved by Bowling Green State University’s Historical Collections of the Great Lakes identify Barnett as captain of F&PM No. 2 in 1900 and 1901. Research by maritime historian William Lafferty extends his service aboard the vessel through 1903, while noting that he occasionally served as mate aboard Pere Marquette 15.

A 1904 history of the Pere Marquette marine department published by the Ludington Record-Appeal also listed Barnett among the captains who had commanded F&PM No. 2.

F&PM No. 2 and sister vessel F&PM No. 1 had entered service in 1882, beginning the Flint & Pere Marquette Railway’s direct steamship operation between Ludington and Wisconsin.

Both ships were designed by naval architect Frank Kirby and were lengthened by 36 feet in Detroit after only one season because their original dimensions limited capacity and handling.

No. 2 had already developed a colorful history by the time Barnett commanded her. During the severe winter of 1899, the vessel became trapped between rapidly moving Lake Michigan ice fields and suffered badly crushed frames. The Record-Appeal reported that she was saved through the intervention of the steel carferry Pere Marquette. Her stern was later rebuilt at Manitowoc at a reported cost of $12,000.

Barnett’s career coincided with a major transformation of the Ludington fleet as the railroad moved from conventional steamships to the steel carferries that would define the port for much of the 20th century.

Pere Marquette 19 and Pere Marquette 20 joined the fleet in 1903. Unlike Pere Marquette 17 and Pere Marquette 18, the new ships were designed primarily for freight service and did not have regular passenger accommodations.

Pere Marquette 20. Photo from Mason County Historical Society Rose Hawley Archives.

When Pere Marquette 20 arrived at Ludington on Dec. 23, 1903, Capt. John C. Ackerman was master, Frank Butler was first mate and Barnett was second mate.

His position again demonstrated the flexibility of the railroad’s experienced officers, who sometimes moved between command and mate positions as crews were shifted throughout the expanding fleet.

Lafferty’s research indicates Barnett also served as mate aboard Pere Marquette 18 before taking command of Pere Marquette 15 in 1904. He succeeded Capt. Dority, who left for the Eastland. Barnett later commanded Pere Marquette 20 as well.

His Pere Marquette career was only one part of his life on the water.

Barnett later served as master of the Chicago-owned steam yacht Sea Fox. In March 1906, he was reported to have “retired” and purchased the steam tug William Engel from Madder & Sher of Kenosha.

His retirement from railroad steamships did not mean retirement from Lake Michigan.

Barnett entered the commercial fishing business, operating from both Kenosha and Ludington. By 1907, he was operating the well-known Ludington tug Sport, a vessel associated with the Cartier interests. Lafferty believes Barnett probably leased the tug rather than owned it.

His operation also used the fish tug Gunderson Bros., while his Kenosha fishing business operated under the name Barnett & Meyers.

By 1910, Barnett and Janet were living in Kenosha, which would remain his home for the rest of his life.

His connection to the maritime world remained strong even after his active sailing years ended.

The 1930 federal census listed William and Janet living at 437 50th Street in Kenosha. Barnett’s occupation was recorded as “Master Mariner” in the steam boat industry, even though he was no longer employed.

It remained an appropriate description of how he was known.

Barnett also became deeply involved in the development of Kenosha Harbor. His interest began before the Kenosha Harbor Commission was established. When the commission was organized, he became a member and officer and eventually served as its president.

The Kenosha Evening News wrote that Barnett’s years on the Great Lakes had given him firsthand knowledge of harbor conditions in many communities. He used that experience to support efforts to strengthen Kenosha as a Lake Michigan shipping center.

Even after leaving active sailing, he continued studying harbor issues and advising those working on improvements.

There was also a family parallel.

Barnett’s younger brother, Alexander Ford “Ford” Barnett, remained in Grand Haven and served on the Grand Haven Harbor Commission. The two sons of a Scottish shipwright eventually became involved in harbor development on opposite sides of Lake Michigan.

Barnett was also a member of the Masonic lodge in Kenosha and maintained friendships throughout the Great Lakes maritime community.

The Kenosha Evening News recalled his willingness to contribute his time, experience and advice to civic affairs.

Barnett died at his Kenosha home on April 10, 1936. He was 68.

He was survived by Janet; their son, William Scott Barnett; his brother, Ford; and two grandsons. He was buried at Green Ridge Cemetery in Kenosha.

Janet died the following year.

By the time of Barnett’s death, the vessels he had commanded and the fleet in which he had served had changed considerably. But the work that defined his life remained centered on Lake Michigan — first aboard steamships and carferries, then aboard fishing vessels and finally along the harbor whose future he helped shape.

Masters of the Ludington Steamers series to date:

In search of information

Editor’s Note: I am seeking historical artifacts and stories from people whose family members worked as ship captains or in Ludington’s maritime industry. While this project focuses on the Ludington carferry fleet, I am also interested in items related to anyone from Mason County who worked on the Great Lakes or oceans.

This series has three goals:

To share Ludington’s rich maritime history with readers of the Mason County Press.
To publish a biographical book about the Ludington fleet captains.
To create an interactive kiosk exhibit at the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum for historical research.

I am looking for artifacts such as photographs, written documents, or digitized materials. Items will be placed in the Mason County Historical Society archives, and donors will receive documentation of their contribution.

If you have items or stories to share, please email editor@mediagroup31.com or call/text 231-757-3202.

Note: I am also interested in collections related to the Mason County railroad industry.

If you would like to financially contribute to the book project, please click here for more information.

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