HCGL. Historical Collections of the Great Lakes

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Photocopies of engine logs for the sand dredge NIAGARA for the years 1956-1958, 1960-1961, 1963, and 1967-1968. The name of the NIAGARA was changed to the W.M. EDINGTON in 1969. There are further engine logs for 1970 and 1972.

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Reports compiled for Marsh & McLennan, Inc. detailing various accidents and damage incidents involving Nicholson Transit Company and Ecorse Transit Company vessels

Abstract

This collection provides information on the business transactions of the Nicholson Transit company for the years 1923-1925. Daily correspondence and financial papers document the relationship of the Nicholson Company with customers and product suppliers from whom company purchases were made. Automobile manufacturers and dealers appear in many of these files. Correspondence and financial papers for two of the company's subsidiaries are also included.

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Notes and clippings on Sandusky Bay ice rescue involving the tug LESTER K.

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Information extracted from Lehigh Valley Railroad annual reports on a variety of fleet vessels and shipping statistics and other company history.

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Handwritten summary from unidentified sources (likely from American Bureau of Shipping publications) with rules and tables related to the construction standards for both wooden and iron vessels.

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Vessel history including details about the wreck of the TREMBLE in 1890.

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Interoffice memos dealing with structure of Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company and ore storage prospects.

Abstract The records of the Ohio and Western Pennsylvania Dock Company partially document the history of the company from 1882-1963. The collection consists of safety committee minutes (1945-1960), company improvement files (1904-1925), vessel lists (1927-1935), labor agreements and grievances (1897-1963), ore shipments (1889-1936), reprimand lists (1905-1907), and operation reports (1908-1913). The operation reports are daily logs of the dock operators and include ore unloading times, references to...

Abstract This collection is comprised of copies of official communications from various officers in the U.S. Naval Department (1799-1819) and, more significantly, from Perry to the Naval Department (1806-1819). Of special interest are communications related to the building of the Erie Squadron (1811-1813) and letters from several of Perry's cruises. A wide range of topics are discussed in the correspondence: recommendations, commissions, lists of officers, strategy, logistical concerns, personnel...

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Photocopies of documents issued by Lake Carriers' Association to certify service of seamen during the shipping season on the Great Lakes, providing information on their competency, description, and record of ships served on.

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Correspondence, primarily written by Association President, Leslie E. Thal, related to issues of navigation and improvement projects such as bridges and dredging along the Ottawa River in Toledo, Ohio.

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Logbook for a sailing vessel detailing cargo carried, ports visited, and other notes.

Abstract

This collection contains files of naval architect Harold Paasch. Subject files and rolled drawings for projects appear consistently for 1947-1976 and in scattered form for 1906, 1927, and 1932. The files in this collection generally apply to vessels of under 100 feet in length. Many survey and patrol boats for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were built by Paasch. The increased use of aluminum after World War II for ship construction can also be studied.

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Collision reports, salvage proposals, and legal documents related to a collision between the ships PARKER EVANS and the SIDNEY E. SMITH, JR. in the St. Clair River at Port Huron, MI, on June 5, 1972

Abstract This collection contains records of vessel damage surveys conducted by Paul J. Ranahan in his career as a marine consultant. Ranahan, a marine engineer, surveyed damage done to vessels involved in accidents to assess the cost of repairs. These records, along with correspondence regarding marine salvage operations, provide a view of the role surveyors like Ranahan played in identifying revenue sources for repair facilities and the expense such accidents caused for vessel owners. The...

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Typescripts of coal loaded on various vessels during the years 1933-1959. The lists are alphabetical by vessel name for each year, and also include tonnage loaded, the number of railcars emptied for each load, forward and aft draft, and cargo destination.

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Cards with drawings of Great Lakes vessels, verso of some cards refer to the vessels depicted.

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Log sheets kept at the railroad drawbridge over the Portage River, noting boat and train passages and times

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Court case proceedings related to financial dealings and legal claims on the steamboat MISSOURI.

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A photo album that depicts the life of an unknown family that was likely from Charleston, WV. While most of the album documents West Virginia scenes, several family members traveled aboard the sidewheeler HURON on a trip up Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, through the Soo Locks, and to Killarney, Ont.

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General logbooks or trip sheets detailing dates, positions, speed, wind and weather, cargo, and remarks for shipping seasons 1961-1962, 1974, and 1977.

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Reports compiled for Marsh & McLennan, Inc. detailing various accidents and damage incidents involving Pioneer Steamship Company vessels.

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Company records, typescripts, and photocopies of newspaper articles containing the annual appointment of officers in the Pittsburgh Steamship Company iron ore fleet.

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Computer printouts from database containing document, data, and index files for Pittsburgh Steamship Company deck officer appointments for the years 1915 to 1940.