This Great Lakes History Log is presented by Filer Credit Union, the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum and Sable Points Media. By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief Editor’s Note: This story was first published on March 16, 2026. Since that time, I have had the pleasure of meeting Barbara Butler, the keeper of the Butler family archives and have found out much…
Masters of the PM Steamers By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief Passengers who rode the SS Badger in the mid-1950s might have been surprised to learn the ship was sometimes steered by a little girl. Audrey Robertson was the daughter of Capt. Bernard “Bunny” Robertson (1906-1992). An only child born later in the captain’s life, Audrey spent many summer days aboard the…
This Great Lakes History Log is presented by Filer Credit Union and the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum. Masters of the PM Steamers By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief Captain Frank A. Dority’s maritime career spanned 56 years, from 1876 until his retirement when he was 72 years old. His portfolio included being the first master of the first three Lake Michigan…
By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief In December, Mason County Press launched a Great Lakes History Log series entitled Masters of the PM Steamers. This series features the stories of the captains of the Ludington-based railroad maritime fleet, which included the carferries and their predecessors, the break-bulk “black boats.” This series is being presented on MCP in a chronological sequence, beginning in…
This Great Lakes History Log is presented by Filer Credit Union and the Port of Ludington Maritime Museum. Masters of the PM Steamers By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief Grounding the PM 19 On Feb. 6, 1904, the Pere Marquette 19, which had been in service for just over two months, went aground on Fox Point, Wis., while approaching Milwaukee in the…
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