Fort Wayne, IN: Wayne Knitting Mills

(Satellite, the buildings were across the former-NKP tracks from the park)

Kenneth Hilders posted
Wayne Knitting Mills. Ft. Wayne, Ind. no date [ACPL]
Darryl Lee Jennings Ward Pattern and Engineering / Ward Aluminum Casting now.

Wayne Thompson posted
Vintage Postcard of WAYNE KNITTING MILL.
[Obviously, an colorized version of the above photo.]

3D Satellite

chris shatto photo was removed because of a copyright complaint.

The business was started in 1891 by Mr. Theodore F. Thieme using technology he found in Germany that used a shophisticated machine that could knit the legs for fifty stockings. Business was still good in August, 1919. But 16 months later, after prices began to tumble, the workers went on strike and the whole works was shut down. I could not determine if the plant ever resumed production. [TheIndependent] It must have resumed production because it was sold to Munsingwear Corporation of Minneapolis in April, 1923. [Tom's History] But it did not make the transition from silk to nylon stockings and the mill was closed in 1960 when it moved its operations to Humboldt, TN. The buildings still existed in 1982, and they were leased for public and private use. [News-Sentinel Archives] Some of the complex is now an undeveloped (just grass) park. Some of the buildings got flooded in 1982. I wonder if that is why they were torn down.

Flood water from the St. Mary's River surrounds the Wayne Knitting Mill buildings on Runnion Ave off West Main Street. Date 03/15/1982. Photo by Donald A. Weber.

Flood water from the St. Mary's River surrounds the Wayne Knitting Mill buildings on Runnion Ave off West Main Street. Date 03/15/1982. Photo by Donald A. Weber.

Former Fort Wayne resident Peggy Seigel, who has written much about women’s history in Fort Wayne, noted in an article published in part on http://www.iub.edu/~imaghist/for_teachers/grwdvlp/lstmp/industrlgrls.html

“At Wayne Knitting Mills, the most highly skilled workers were male knitters, who were trained though apprenticeship programs to operate the complex machines that knit the legs of stockings. Male workers also took charge of the dyeing process. Most of the other jobs in the factory were semiskilled or unskilled and were performed by girls or women. Three or four ‘transfer girls' put the stocking tops onto quills that were then used to transfer the stockings onto simpler circular knitting machines, also operated by women. These operators, known as ‘loopers', sewed together the foot of the stocking. Other female workers shaped stockings by a process called ‘boarding.' Women and girls also worked as sorters, inspectors, folders, finishers and menders.”
Further on she explains, “Like female workers at Wayne Knitting, girls and women at GE and the Edison Lamp Works were not permitted to train as apprentices….”

[HistoryCenterFW]

FortWayneReader

Wayne Knitting Mills at West Main Street and Growth Avenue, known as Knitters’ Row, was another large employer in the early part of the century, employing up to 2,500. As early as the 1920s, most of its employees were female, and the company’s buildings included a dormitory for female workers who had come from rural areas and small towns. Wayne Knitting Mills’ union was the first to organize under the new National Labor Relations Board in 1935 in an election that grew out of a strike that had been called in June of that year.
Excerpt from Allen County History Book manuscript , essay “Fort Wayne in the Depression”
Photo courtesy of The History Center/Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society
302 East Berry Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
(260) 426-2882
www.fwhistorycenter.com
[FortWayneReader]

Kim Rhodes posted
My Mom worked here. Women's nylon stockings were like gold!
Nancy Parker They had dorms for the women
[A comment indicates that the Ward Corporation now uses the buildings.]

Renee Procise commented on a posting
Right behind my house

Robert Teusch Jr had seven comments on a posting:

1

2

3

4

5

6

The seventh photo was removed because Robert violated the copyright of Ward Corporation #2.

Gary Phillip Sauers posted
My grandfather worked at The Wayne Knitting Mill for 30 years.
Carol Stolte Spallone Look how clean.
Gary Phillip Sauers Yea, they made paracshutes for the war. After the war they made nylon hosiery. Very clean and precise work for both fabrics. Everyone who did this in the mill had to have a professional manicure every week. I remember my grandpa having real good German clippers and files to keep his nails totally unable to snag any of this fine silk fabric. I still have part of his set of manicure stuff to this day. It still cut my nails too. lol

Tommy Lee Fitzwater posted two photos with the comment:

Located at West Main Street and Growth Avenue, Wayne Knitting Mills - manufacturer of silk hosiery from 1892 to 1960 - was not exempt from the floodwaters from the St. Mary's River. Some of the windows on this building have changed, but the awning with decorative brackets is still intact. Before and After Pics

1

2

The awning is close to the overhead walkway.

Street View

Becky Osbun commented on Tommy's post
Standish photo, via ACPL

Charles Ervin shared three photos that are already included in these notes. But the text is new.

"For 70 years, Fort Wayne covered the legs of the world. In the days before hosiery turned into ``nylons'' and was packaged in cute little egg-shaped containers with cute little names, Wayne Knit silk hose had more than its share of the legwear market. Between 1892 and 1960, Wayne Knitting Mills at West Main Street and Growth Avenue was a busy place, with hundreds of employees - mostly women - scurrying over the cobblestone streets to take their places behind hundreds of humming sewing machines.
The intersection was known as Knitters’ Row, was another large employer in the early part of the century, employing up to 2,500. As early as the 1920s, most of its employees were female, and the company’s buildings included a dormitory for female workers who had come from rural areas and small towns. Wayne Knitting Mills’ union was the first to organize under the new National Labor Relations Board in 1935 in an election that grew out of a strike that had been called in June of that year.
Excerpt from Allen County History Book manuscript , essay “Fort Wayne in the Depression”

Timothy Jefferies I worked in the building when it was called Ward Aluminum.


A Facebook posting has more images and comments.

Bluffton, IN: NKP (Cloverleaf) Depot and Water Tower

(Satellite)

Dennis DeBruler shared (Clover Leaf Depot, Bluffton, In. Built 1903. Demolished 1991.)
Does anyone know the location of this depot in Bluffton?

Steve Grigg commented on DeBruler's share
Art Lemke Great post Steve - I couldnt have said it better.

It appears NKP removed the Cloverleaf track through town, which explains why I had a hard time finding traces of it on a 1951 aerial photo.

The 2005 SPV Map shows that the Wabash Central Railroad (WBCR) owned the Cloverleaf route between Van Buren and Craigville, IN. Norfolk Southern owned the NKP (Lake Erie & Western) route.

Fort Wayne, IN: Valbruna Stainless/Slater Steel/Joslyn Stainless Steel

(3D Satellite)

Great Memories and History of Fort Wayne, Indiana posted or 11th photo

I didn't realize there was a steel plant in Fort Wayne until I saw this posting. Looking at a Google image, I noticed that some of the buildings on the east side seem to be loosing their roof. So I quick copied a Bing image since it is older and it still has its roofs.

Google

Bing

Christopher Mccann posted
Joslyn, Slater stainless
Christopher Mccann I currently work here
Mike Snow Too bad they got rid of the melt shop.
Jim Heit On April 12, 2001 @12:36 PM as furnace operator(1st Helper) I had the privilege of melting and pouring the last heat out of the Melt shop # 2 Furnace. It was type 316 CA, slip # 2558, Ht. # 59,301. I have a sample of that Ht. polished up from the test mold.

Mitch Harper posted
Arthur L. Potts: Ryan Palmer The picture is from 1907. The post card is dated 1911.
[The comments indicate that this was the Rolling Mill District and it was settled by Romanian immigrants, many of which worked at this plant.]

Rick Stabler posted
Joslyn Stainless Steel Mill on West Taylor Street during the 1982 flood. My grandfather, Albert (Red), and father, Lawrence, both retired from this company. Joslyn was sold to Slater in February of 1981 but retained the name of Joslyn until after 1982.
Nancy Oswald Hartstein Took workers in by boat.
Matthew Moore https://www.lrb.usace.army.mil/.../joslyn-pa-2005-08.pdf
Mike Eme Rescued a guy out of the overhead crane there in the middle of summer. Not sure I have ever been hotter or dirtier.
Kevin Wigner When this steel mill ran
there was a short-line railroad (Lake Erie & Fort Wayne Railroad) that switched RR cars in and out of Joslyn and businesses in the immediate area. Back in the 1960's my dad knew the engineer and he let dad and I ride in the engine one day while they were switching RR cars in and out of the mill. This was pretty cool to ride on this little switch engine back when I was a 9 year old kid.. Neat memory I will never forget!... That RR is gone now. They tore down the little RR office on Taylor St. in 1985 which near the entrance to the Joslyn mill... The railroad was a division of the Wabash railroad and it had only 3 workers who if I am remembering correctly were 3 brothers (I think).
Jim Heit Three brothers is correct. That engine is currently being restored by the Fort Wayne R.R. Society. I was employed there from 1964 until they closed.
Brian Hammer Wasn't there a law suit against the company from the employees because the cars in the parking lot paint jobs were being ruined by the residual fumes and smoke.
Jim Heit Acid rain produced by the plant ruined auto paint jobs at Allen County Motors and at GE.
John Leto I am still working there. Started in 89, left for awhile, now back. Good to be back.
Dave McDowell I remember Josyln and the flood very
well ... I worked for the city at that time. Drove a dump truck full of sandbags and teenagers for several days ... also watch President Reagan take a place in the bagline.

Comments on a post

Mitch Harper

https://industrytoday.com/forging-ahead-7/

I have been told that some of the most outstanding metallurgists in the world worked there in formulating and then assuring quality for special alloys only produced at that facility.

Part of the property may be contaminated by uranium because during WWII “Joslyn rolled uranium rods from billets for use by the MED and the AEC in weapons production.” Studies in 1949 and 1976 indicated they were careful and did not find residual contamination. But a 2004 survey of the site found evidence of radioactive contamination. So the US Army Corps of Engineers is doing further examinations of the property. [Waste-Lands]

The 2004 survey was for the purchase of the bankrupt Slater property by Valbruna. That Italian company built the business back up from four employees to more than 100. "Acciaierie Valbruna SPA, the Italian steel industry giant, is forging a strong identity in the United States, through its subsidiary, Valbruna Slater Stainless, Inc. This Indiana-based branch takes imported ingots and turns them into round cornered square billets and round bars, among other products, for its forging customers’ applications." [IndustryToday]

In 2005, the USACE did an evaluation and concluded that hazardous substances may have migrated from on-site buildings but they do not pose an imminent threat. But a Site Investigation should be done to "further characterize radioactive residuals." [USACE]

IndustryToday

A 5:00 video on how stainless steel is made

Streator, IL: Junction Tower: BNSF/Santa Fe vs. Aban/N&W/Wabash

(Satellite)

Kerry Bruck posted
ATSF Hudson steam locomotive #3461 crosses the Wabash diamonds in Streator 1947
John Burt Alan, this was the tower at the Lundy Street crossing.

In the aerial, it appears the tower is parallel to the Wabash tracks but north of the junction along the Santa Fe tracks. It appears the Hudson is running timecard east. Those are the largest code lines I have ever seen in a photo --- 8.5 crossbars.

1939 Aerial Photo from ILHAP

William Shapotkin posted three photos with the comment:

Sreator, IL ATSF/WABASH Xing. Here are three pix of the Tower/Xing of the ATSF/WABASH in Streator, IL. Now allow me to say that the interior photo was furnished me by a fellow on one of the facebook discussion groups and (sorry, it is my fault), did not write down his name so that proper credit can be given -- and for that I humbly apologize.

Richard Fiedler William I posted the interior photo to you but in fairness I believe I got it from the Streator IL site.

1

2

3

Detroit, MI: Ferries

Riverfront Railroad Yards has more photos with ferry docks.

A history of Detroit ferries: "At one time 15 railroad ferries crossed the lake Michigan."

Detroit - Area Railroad History posted
1906 Detroit waterfront. Note the whaleback freighter.
Thomas Rubarth They look very similar, but are too small to be the Boblo Boats. I think the smaller one might be the ferry to Bell Isle, but am not sure. These were pre-bridge (1929) and tunnel (1930) days, so there was a lot of Detroit/Windsor passenger ferry traffic.

A closeup of the boxcars on the Grand Trunk ferry.

Closeup of above photo

Note that the smoke has not been added by a postcard illustrator to make the city look prosperous. This is a photo. Trains and boats were steam driven and homes and business were heated with coal. This illustrates why Chicago published a 1915 Smoke Abatement Report with a plan to electrify the railroads because smoke pollution was so serious that the politicians understand that something needed to be done about the pollution.

 

Gary Rotar posted
One of many...

A different exposure.

The Way We Were Photos posted
The Lansdowne Grand Trunk rail ferry crossing the Detroit River in winter. 1905. The Lansdowne was launched in 1884 for the Grand Trunk Railway as a rail ferry shuttling rail cars between Detroit and Windsor.

As mentioned, there was a lot of ferry traffic before the railroad tunnels and vehicle bridges were built.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted
The waterfront of Detroit, Mich. circa 1936 (Image Source: Wayne State University Libraries – Digital Collections – Virtual Motor City Collection). The steamer, second from the left, appears to be the Greater Detroit.
The ship on the right may be the City of Detroit III. The image is part of an aerial photograph showing multiple steamers and ferries on the Detroit River waterfront taken by the Detroit News that is now part of the collection of the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University 
[The description continues with a history for each of those ships.]

Marine Historical Society of Detroit posted
Canadian National Railway's car ferry Huron, seen crossing the Detroit River to Windsor in July 1969. The 1875-built steamship was in its 95th year of operation when the photo was taken. Currently (2023) the vessel is at the bottom of a slip in the City of River Rouge, where it sank several decades ago after conversion to a barge. Emory Massman Jr. photo/MHSD collection.
Jay Bascom: It was fascinating to listen to her when she was running because she was a non-condenser and the exhausting steam made a great puffing sound. I made one crossing over and back on her when she still was in steam.

Kevin Keeton posted
Transfer steamer on the Detroit River 1905.
John Gibson Burning old rubber tires for fuel, by the look of it.

Peter Dudley shared
A June 1969 photograph shot by John R. Lee shows one of the three railroad car ferries Wabash Railway ran between Windsor and Detroit (WINDSOR, DETROIT, and MANITOWOC). By 1969, all three ferries were operated by Wabash-inheritor Norfolk & Western Railway (N&W).
Later, all three were converted into tug propelled barges.
I think the one pictured here is DETROIT, which was scrapped at Windsor c. June 2010 (one month shy of the Detroit River Tunnel centennial).
DETROIT, the last of Michigan Central Railroad's railroad car ferries, was launched at Great Lakes Engineering Works (GLEW) in 1904. She was laid-up after M.C.R.R.'s new tunnel was completed in July 1910, and eventually sold to Wabash.
Jim McCarthy The Roanoke would be the fourth.

 

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted
The waterfront of Detroit, Mich., circa 1900-1910, showing the ferries Excelsior (left) and Victoria (right) crossing the Detroit River (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection – enhanced by Shorpy.com). 
[The description continues with a history of each ferry.]

Barry Beaubien posted
The rail ferry Detroit being launched in Ecorse Mi. 1904
I wonder if my grandfather helped build it?

Richard Mead commented on Stephen Phillip's posting
Peter Dudley Richard Fiedler: During DETROIT's long career, the number of stacks was reduced from four to three, and eventually to just two. It makes it harder to identify DETROIT photographs from different eras.

Peter Dudley shared
DETROIT (of Detroit), Michigan Central Railroad's last railroad car ferry, entered service on the Detroit River in 1904 (two years before construction of M.C.R.R.'s Detroit River Tunnel started). The ferry was scrapped at Windsor ON in June 2010 (one month shy of the tunnel's centennial). Some time after the tunnel was completed (July 1, 1910), the ferry was sold to Wabash Railroad.
DETROIT originally sported four stacks -- the number was gradually reduced, during subsequent decades.
William Worden She originally had three tracks and the pairs of funnels were between the center track and the outer tracks. She was later altered to have four tracks and the stacks were moved to be on the centerline between the two center tracks. She was not re-engined or reboilered.Katica Doyle's posting
"Transfer Steamer Detroit" on the Detroit River plowing through the ice, Michigan, circa 1905, from Detroit Publishing Co., via Library of Congress.
Chris Edwards Library of Congress has an enormous Detroit catalogue- especially the Detroit Publishing Company works- an extraordinary Detroit success story- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detroit_Publishing_Company...
Peter Dudley When searching this collection, don't use the keyword "Detroit" (you'll get the entire collection in your search results).
Adam Hernandez Sr. I’ve been retired frm the Norfolk Southern R.R. ovr 13yrs. Just b4 I hired in, around 1971. The NS R.R. Was named the Norfolk & Western R.R. Before this, it was the Wabash R.R. Under the Wabash R.R. They operated 4 transfer steamers, The Detroit, Roanoke, Windsor & Manitowoc.

Steve Vanden Bosch posted five photos with the comment: "The DETROIT was a four stacker, Car Ferry between Windsor and Detroit. these photos are from the Library of the Congress."
Dennis DeBruler The two steam powered tractors on a Michigan Central flatcar are also interesting.

Richard Colby shared

Note the steam tractors on the flatcars. Quite a set of photographs.
Peter Dudley shared
DETROIT's original four stacks were eventually reduced to three, and later only two stacks - which were removed when the ferry was cut down to a barge.
William D G Baker 120hp nichols & shepard tractors?

1

2

3

4

5

Raymond Storey posted
A MC car ferry.

History Images posted
A Michigan Central Railroad car ferry maneuvers its way into a slip along the Detroit River waterfront, ca. 1900.
Lloyd Pittonet I worked for CPRail,Derailments on the barges in the Winter were not for the faint of heart.
One wrong lift ,you're in the Drink.
Forgotten Railways, Roads & Places shared

Barry beaubien posted
A cold day in Detroit

Al Haskell

Is that the S.S.Lansdowne?

Joel Goodrich

Al Haskell

 Yes, transporting rail cars between Detroit & Windsor.

Al Haskell

Found out it’s the Michigan Central,name Is on the Wheelhouse.

Greg Mross posted
Lansdowne, Detroit River, 5/11/61. Amazing this paddle wheeler lasted as long as it did! John Ingles photo from my collection.

 

Steve Vanden Bosch updated
This photo of the Lansdowne is from the Detroit Publishing Collection Library of Congress
Dennis DeBruler

LC-D4-22154 [P&P]

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2016795254/

Barry Stone

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Lansdowne

Casey Coolich: I thought the Ann Arbor #1 was the first car ferry in service on the Great Lakes. This guy looks to be in service about 10 yrs earlier and also quite a bit longer.
William Worden: River versus open lake.
Kenneth G. Reid: I started at Grand Trunk in 1969. The Landsdowne was just a barge by then. I used to write up the consist of cars going from Detroit to Windsor and board the Landsdowne to drop off the paperwork.
Chris Lewis: In the 1970s the Lansdowne was owned by Windsor-Detroit Barge Line and hauled rail cars loaded with shipping containers back and forth between Windsor and Detroit. The tug Prescotont - Captained by R.A “Sandy” Sanderson pushed her, as well as the former paddle-wheeler the “Huron”.

safe_image from Wayne Koch's share of a Shorpy link
Raymond Storey - I always return to this amazing high res. photo, circa 1900! Steam power. Note guy smoking a pipe.Laurence Ronan Raymond, she looks like a paddle wheeler, or was converted from one. However, in that ice, paddle wheeler’s were hard to perform, even with steel wheels. I do know, it was hard for an inboard engine, hampering the cars rolling on in center.
Be interesting to find her history.
Will try see see if obtainable.
Dwayne Weber Someone stated they were left derelict and sunk at their piers?

Nick Kotsidis The resolution of this is absolutely incredible, especially for 1900. I wonder how they achieved it, especially being that this was likely a motion shot.
One thing I just noticed, it appears that the box car in the center row is still outfitted for link and pin couplers. I thought they would have all been gone by 1900, especially on a major rail line. Would anyone be able to confirm whether that's the case?
In terms of the ship, the size of the paddle wheels is impressive to say the least. Thanks for sharing!
Doug Moore Actually looks like she is temporarily locked in the ice. The smoke shows a little blur from its motion. Most likely taken on an 8x10 glass plate,
Jack Franks Link and pin cars were restricted to rear end service in mixed trains and crew members were instructed to pass hand signals after passing crossings at grade and after doing up or down a grade, according to an old rule book I had. Another rule in that book was brakemen were allowed to ride on the engine as long as they were not required to be on top of the train.
David Torke The Shorpy collection has photographs that were made with a number of different cameras, not all Speed Graflex. Some were made, like this one, with a dry plate glass negative. High res refers to the relative tightness of the photograph's grain. It's not a digital standard.

pinterest

Dennis DeBruler commented on Wayne's share
Str. Detroit, Michigan Central Transfer, the launch
One of nine 1904 photos of a ferry being constructed from the LoC search:
https://www.loc.gov/search/?in=...

Photo from LoC
Car ferry, Michigan Central, entering slip, Detroit River

Photo from LoC
Car ferry turning in ice, Detroit River

LC-DIG-det-4a04915

Ken Myles commented on Raymond's post
The details here... the deckhand smoking a pipe, both men looking down at the ice, heavy smoke from factory in the background...
Dennis DeBruler And in front of the factory is a big wooden grain elevator.

Alan Stouder posted
Former Wabash/Norfolk Western boat yards, downtown Detroit,MI. Tri-level car haulers and certain box cars were too big for the railroad tunnel under the Detroit River to Windsor,Ont. So they ferried them across the river on special barges. This picture was taken in 1980.
Christopher J. Smith Third track in from the water. Is that a vinegar car?Doug Kaniuk http://vinpic.dhke.com/
Mark Hershoren shared
Brian Henson I understand that, since the railroad tunnel has been enlarged (by CP), such cars can now pass through the tunnel.

Randall MacArthur posted
John Shaw shared John De Lorenzo's post
The Detroit River circa 1905 Transfer steamer
Dennis DeBruler: Note that another ferry is in a dock in the left background.

Randall MacArthur posted

Randall MacArthur posted

Raymond Storey posted two photos with the comment: "An MC car ferry in Detroit."

1
Ray Schloss shared
Detroit, MI 🇺🇸 - Windsor, ON 🇨🇦 ferries ⛴️

2

Barry Beaubien posted
Ecorse Mi. 1904, My grandfather might be in this picture, he worked in the shipyards during that era.
Fred Bultman Detroit.Barry Beaubien Michigan Central transfer, Detroit to Windsor

Barry Beaubien commented on his post
The finished ship.

Gerard Joseph posted five photos with the comment: "Here's a few Detroit River Railyard & Railroad Car Ferry Operation Photos from My File Collection - sent to Me years ago from a friend who worked with the Detroit Historical Society..Detroit seen the PRR, the NYC, and the N&W run the operations through the decades."

1

2

3

4

5

Steve Vanden Bosch posted
Detroit from the Library of Congress
Mike Harlan shared

Paul Erspamer commented on Steve's post
Interesting they have three sets of tracks. The cross-lake carferries for Pere Marquette/C&O, Grand Trunk and Ann Arbor RR mostly have four. Here's Pere Marquette 21.

An earlier design.

Barry Baubien posted
Smoke on the water, The Detroit river around 1905
Mike Harlan Appears to be The LandsdowneNancy Karen Sisson Back when the river used to ice up and freeze. Wish we let that happen occasionally now..

Joseph Provost posted three photos with the comment: "Construction and Launching of the Michigan Central Railroad ferry Detroit at the Great Lakes Engineering Works circa 1904, later struggling in the Detroit River ice."

1

2

3

And it wasn't just railcar ferries.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted
An image from a dry plate negative of excursion steamers and ferries on the Detroit waterfront, circa 1900-1908 (Image Source: Library of Congress - Detroit Publishing Co. Collection).
An analysis of a high-resolution copy of the photographs identifies the vessels, from left to right, as the Victoria (1872), City of Toledo (1891), and what appears to be the second White Star Line steamer Greyhound (1902).
[The description continues with the history of each of those vessels.] 

 

Marine Historical Society of Detroit posted

Norfolk and Western's Detroit River ferry Windsor docked in Windsor in 1965.  Dan Cornellie photo/MHSD.

The Wabash Railway obtained trackage rights (the right to operate trains on another company's tracks) across southern Ontario from Windsor to Buffalo from the Grand Trunk Railway (later Canadian National) in 1897.  These rights were passed on to Wabash's corporate successors (Norfolk and Western and later Norfolk Southern) and were not relinquished until late 2006.  Initially the Wabash relied on the Grand Trunk ferries to haul its traffic across the Detroit River. But it started their own ferry service around 1912 when it purchased three used ferries from the Michigan Central Railroad. Because the newly acquired Wabash ferries used three track loading aprons instead of two track aprons that CN utilized, the Wabash built its own slips on both the Detroit and Windsor shores.  The ferries were steam powered until 1969 when they were reduced to barges pushed across the river by tugboats. The ferry route lasted until 1994, at which time Norfolk Southern started using the Detroit-Windsor railroad tunnel for all of its Canadian traffic.

The Windsor is believed to have been scrapped at Port Colborne circa 2007.

Association for Great Lakes Maritime History posted

The passenger ferry Sappho at the Belle Isle Park ferry dock at the foot of Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit, Mich., circa 1905-1910 (Image Source: Library of Congress – Detroit Publishing Co. Collection – enhanced by Shorpy.com). 

The photograph was created from a dry glass plate negative. The notes accompanying the image identify the photographer as Lycurgus S. Glover (1858-1935).

Additional Historical Information

Launched in April 1883, the passenger ferry Sappho was built in Detroit, Mich. by the Detroit Dry Dock Co. for Hiram Walker & Sons of Detroit. The 107-foot vessel, along with ferry Ariel, was sold to the Walkerville & Detroit Ferry Co. in October 1883

The Walkerville & Detroit Ferry Co. was formed in 1881, and provided year-round cross-river ferry service between the foot of Walker Street in Detroit and Devonshire Road in Walkerville, Ont. During the summer months, its ferry route would also include service to Belle Isle.

Belle Isle was a 982-acre island located in the Detroit River, just north of downtown Detroit. It was purchased by the city in 1879 for use as a community park. Larger than New York City’s Central Park, elements of the park were designed by landscape architect Federick Law Olmstead. 

The Sappho was acquired by the Detroit, Belle Isle & Windsor Ferry Co. of Detroit in 1899. The vessel was then used to provide passenger service between the foot of Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit and Belle Isle in the summer months. It also ferried people across the Detroit River to and from Windsor, Ont. 

In 1898, the Detroit, Belle Isle & Windsor Ferry Co. began developing its own day park and recreation area on Bois Blanc Island, about 18 miles south of downtown Detroit. In the years that followed, as the popularity of Bois Blanc grew, the popularity of Belle Isle waned. 

By 1911, ferry service to Belle Isle was no longer a major part of the Detroit, Belle Isle & Windsor Ferry Co.’s business and it was reorganized as the Detroit & Windsor Ferry Co. The Sappho caught fire and burned to a total loss in 1929.

That same year, the Ambassador Bridge across the Detroit River was completed followed by the opening of the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel in 1930. Demand for cross-river ferry service dropped dramatically. The Detroit & Windsor Ferry Co. ended its service from the foot of Woodward Avenue on July 18, 1938. It went out of business in 1942. 

[See the post for links to the information sources.]

Peter Carr shared these notes.

Barry Sell posted three photos that are already in these notes.