While Commissioner Ziegler said, "No plan will be scrapped because it originated in someone else's mind," he did order construction stopped on the causeway. Despite the original plans to build a ferry dock at the end, shortening the run between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, no ferries would ever land there. (Michigan Department of Transportation) To mark the 50th Anniversary of the Mackinac Bridge, the St. Ignace News is serializing Les Bagley's unpublished manuscript on the history of Michigan State Ferries, the first state-run highway ferry in the nation and the way millions of motorists crossed between Michigan's peninsulas in prebridge days. In this installment, as WWII decimated the Michigan State Highway Department, there was a change in command.

Outgoing Highway Commissioner G. Donald Kennedy left office December 30, 1942, to accept an appointment as vice president for Highway Transportation with the Automotive Safety Foundation in Washington, D. C. Michigan's new highway chief, Lloyd B. "Dutch" Reid, was appointed commissioner the same day, in one of the last official acts of outgoing Governor Murray D. "Pat" Van Wagoner. A former assistant city engineer in Pontiac, Reid had also been senior draftsman for Detroit's water department, and had held several consulting positions with prestigious firms. He joined Highways as an assistant district engineer when Van Wagoner took over the department in 1933 and rose steadily through the ranks, earning five major promotions in the decade.

With the two largest ferries away on lease, the two smaller ferries, The Straits of Mackinac and the City of Cheboygan, handled summertime auto traffic at the Straits by themselves. At times traffic was so slow the ships sailed with almost no passengers or autos. That winter, the railroad ferries were needed elsewhere for icebreaking, so the Cheboygan was forced to battle ice conditions for which she was not designed. (Author's collection) A competent administrator and able engineer, Reid was nonetheless at a tremendous disadvantage. The first full year of WWII saw ferry traffic decline 29.9%. The drop had started in March, 1942, and was most precipitous in July, off 42.8% from the year before, and December, when, with the start of gas rationing, more than 65% fewer cars crossed the Straits. Yet, while ferry revenues fell, expenses didn't. Almost immediately, the department was forced to pay $4,622.50 it didn't really have for three months of "War Insurance" to protect the four icebound ferries at their wharves in St. Ignace. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Reid faced greater challenges than just falling ferry revenues.

With traffic volumes so low at the Straits, the highway department leased the City of Munising and City of Petoskey to the Truckers Steamship Company to haul truck trailers between Detroit and Cleveland. The Teamster's Union immediately protested that the ships were taking away union truck drivers' jobs. (C. H. Truscott Collection) From a surplus the year before, the Highway Department now was forced to dip into reserve funds for operation. Wartime travel restrictions and rationing had reduced gasoline tax collections by twothirds, leaving only $1,440,000 for road and bridge construction, engineering, right of way, traffic operations, and all other activities. That compared to more than $12 million a year in the past. Reid told a state legislative budget hearing that all remaining funds would have to go to fund the 1942 program of resurfacing 100 miles of state highways and construction of a few war access roads. There was a lot more work that couldn't be covered.

In 1943, Republican Charles M. Ziegler took over the reins of the Michigan State Highway Department. A former deputy to Frank Rogers, Ziegler found the department to be just a shell of its former status. Many engineers had been drafted, and with gasoline rationing, taxes on gas sales that supported the department were almost non-existent. (Michigan Department of Transportation) A retrenchment policy went into effect throughout the department. Eighty-nine employees were laid off, 58 more were transferred to lower paying jobs, 28 unfilled positions were eliminated. Of 32 reorganization proposals made by the Civil Service Commission, 26 were affected by the reorganization. Reid said the remaining six would be hard to accomplish because of "lack of floor space, qualified personnel, and the danger of impairing efficiency." The moves saved the department $262,260 in payroll. The draft saved the department even more.

As more and more men were needed by the military, qualified engineers were in especially high demand. One by one, those draftage employees, men 18 to 38 years old, were inducted, leaving empty desks, vacant drawing boards, and crewless work crews. One newspaper estimated that by year's end, nearly 80% of American men in that age group would be in uniform. The White House noted the war was far from won.

Former Senator Prentiss Brown received his confirmation as administrator of the Office of Price Administration and headed off to Washington to take over the position at the end of January. His travel was delayed in New Castle, Pennsylvania, however, when a gas station attendant refused to sell him more than three gallons of gasoline, per the rationing rules. Despite Brown's protests and the identification and references that proved he was the man in charge of the rationing and on his way to Washington on official business, the pump jockey was adamant.

"It's all baloney to me!" he said.

Brown was forced to overnight in a hotel.

Echoing Stewart Woodfill's suggestion earlier, the chairman of the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, W. F. Doyle, again proposed the Highway Department study the feasibility of running part of the State Ferry Fleet to provide sailings from Detroit to Chicago.

"Railroad and bus facilities are already overtaxed," he said, "and it looks like it will only get worse!"

Doyle asked that stops be made at ports all along Michigan's coasts and at Mackinac Island, to serve both tourists and commercial shippers.

"It would be better to equip [the ferries] with deck chairs to serve a greater number of passengers, and keep them in active service, than to put them in drydock or release them to other states," he said.

Again, Reid rejected the suggestion.

But it was apparent that somebody needed to do something. January and February auto traffic across the Straits fell by nearly 50% below 1942 levels. During the first two months of the year, the Sainte Marie (II) handled only about 3,200 cars a month.

Part of the reason may also have been extremely bad weather. The entire Upper Peninsula was snowbound several times early in the year, with blizzard conditions, heavy snowfall, and below freezing temperatures. On several occasions, the railroad ferries were held in the Straits by high winds and shifting ice flows. Train service was canceled and bus passengers were stranded overnight in St. Ignace. The highway department spent money it didn't have, trying to keep main roads open and clear. It was a losing battle.

William W. Lavers, a former highway department construction engineer from Calumet, had had enough. A Republican who had entered private practice when the Democrats took over in 1933, Lavers had 17 years experience. In late January, Lavers threw his hat into the ring to unseat Reid as highway commissioner. Also seeking the Republican nomination was former Deputy Commissioner Charles M. Ziegler, who had run unsuccessfully for the post before. Several lesser candidates made the contest more interesting, including Fred C. Rogers, the son of Frank Rogers, Ziegler's old highway department boss.

Following several sharp floor fights at the late February Republican Convention in Detroit, Ziegler got the party endorsement to run for the $7,500-a-year post on the second ballot, after Lavers stepped aside to make the choice unanimous. But there was no guarantee Ziegler would even have an office to run for.

After his own election in November, Governor Harry F. Kelly had announced that he favored a plan to have the legislature abolish the elective post, and "take the Highway Department out of Politics." He wanted to bring the highway department under executive branch control, with an appointed highway director. The plan Kelly endorsed was actually a scheme by the Republican Party to wrest control of the highway department away from the Democrats and L. B. Reid, who also announced he intended to run for reelection. Yet, as one astute state senator pointed out, with the Commissioner elected by the people, it gave the incumbent a chance to become proficient in the job, regardless of who was governor or what party controlled the legislature at the moment.

Most observers predicted that the position would be abolished by the Republican controlled legislature if Reid were to be reelected. The odds were it would not, if Ziegler defeated Reid in April. Ultimately, after political infighting in the Senate, a bill passed by the House to turn the department over to a three-man appointed panel was defeated by the senators.

With that thought in mind, L. B. Reid came to the Straits region and the Upper Peninsula for a weeklong campaign tour, kicking off his reelection bid with an informal breakfast with friends on March 8 in St. Ignace. One of his campaign promises was to complete Highway 2 near Escanaba. But at the U.P. Road Builder's Conference at Houghton, he also outlined problems facing the department. "Roadside picnic tables are being reduced from 3,500 to 1,000 and will receive minimum attention. They are being located near large metropolitan areas," newspapers reported. Reid asserted that all such roadside services could easily be dispensed with for the duration.

That didn't set well with U.P. tourism officials, who were struggling to buoy hopes for the upcoming summer. Assistant Ferry Superintendent Fletcher C. Davis noted that while he expected a tremendous decrease in ferry auto traffic, he believed the tourist business in the region would remain steady. Speaking to members of the Recreation Club, Davis explained that if the summer were a warm one, people would still seek the cooler climate of the "north country." He said that while the quantity of travelers might be lacking, those who did come would probably "stay put" longer.

"What summer people that do come will want to stay if they find suitable entertainment," the press reported him saying. "They can't drive around the country. For that reason, nearby fishing grounds, bathing beaches, our golf course, theater, local organizations, cafes and taverns must be prepared to entertain in order that we may receive a share of the tourist business upon which we all so greatly depend." The club agreed, voting unanimously to take over maintenance of the local golf course to protect the investment of over $10,000 it had taken to create it.

Meanwhile, Ferry Superintendent George Loughlin left on company business for Detroit. It's not known if he continued on to Toledo, where on March 20, the keel was laid for the newest which made the rounds in late March, was that soap sales would soon be restricted. That brought a rush at the local A&P stores, with one buyer taking home $12 in bars and powders, quite a large purchase at the time.

An even more difficult purchase was the two-week lot of provisions needed for the Sainte Marie (II) when she was commandeered to go icebreaking the first week of April. Pulled from the State's auto run, she was sent off to open the St. Marys River to early navigation under Capt. Charles "Paddy" Brown and Engineer Harry Cheeseman. In addition to groceries, the ferry carried 300 tons of coal in her bunkers and 14 to 16 20-ton gondolas of additional coal on her deck

In her absence, the Chief Wawatam assumed both auto and railcar duties as ice on the Straits remained about two feet thick, still much too heavy for the white fleet addition to the Straits icebreaking flotilla, the new Coast Guard cutter Mackinaw. Sponsored by Congressman Fred Bradley, the 290- foot by 72-foot vessel was to be the most powerful craft on the Great Lakes, with engines generating more than 10,000 horsepower. The cutter was scheduled to enter service by January 1944. Her designers noted one particular trait in her size. She was too large to fit through the existing canal and lock systems, and so they projected, for her entire career, the Mackinaw would be a captive in the Great Lakes system. There was no way the government could commandeer her for service elsewhere, even during wartime.

Wartime rationing was having its effect throughout America. Complicated "rationing charts" were published as more and more items were assigned "points" to determine how they could be purchased with ration coupons issued to each member of each household.

There were also panics caused by false rationing rumors. One, to sail.

There wasn't much auto traffic to sail for anyway. March volume decreased 42.3% from the year previous and volume for the first quarter of 1943 was off by 46.9%. Traffic was increasing at about the usual seasonal percentage, however, it was just running at about half the levels of the year before.

While the Chief took over auto ferry honors, the Sainte Marie (II) made several swings through Lake Michigan, traveling as far as Escanaba and returning at least once to St. Ignace to replenish her fuel and supplies. She cleared channels into Mackinac Island, through the Straits and through windrowed ice leading to open water in both lakes Michigan and Huron.

Crews finally began fitting out two of the state boats the second week of April. But they weren't prepared for Mackinaw City to St. Ignace service. Instead, as suggested by the Office of War Transportation the pervious year, the highway department leased the two largest ferries, the City of Munising and City of Petoskey to the Truckers Steamship Company of Detroit. Truckers planned to run the boats between Detroit and Cleveland, Ohio, carrying truck trailers across Lake Erie. Assistant Superintendent Davis announced the boats would leave for Detroit as soon as they were fitted out, inspected, and ice conditions permitted.

On paper, the entire plan seemed plausible. The ferries burned unrestricted coal, a fuel in plentiful supply, unlike the gasoline or diesel fuel needed by truck tractors. By carrying trailers on the ferries, scarce rubber tires could be preserved. The boats could each carry up to 60 of the largest trailers, and the water route would mean saving each trailer a 168- mile-a-day round trip by highway. Truck drivers, many of whom had been drafted, and therefore were in short supply, would be freed up to transport other cargoes elsewhere.

It also looked like a boon to ferry crewmembers. Facing the prospect of a less-than-busy summer tourist season, the state would only need crews for two of the boats. By signing on with Truckers, the men on the Petoskey and Munising would have jobs for the entire navigation season, freeing up jobs for men on the other state boats. Quite a few men with high seniority vied to be at the head of Truckers' hiring list.

Best of all, at $200 per boat per day, the lease agreement would provide additional revenue to the cash strapped Highway Department. It looked like a win-win situation for everyone involved. Everyone, that is, except the Teamsters. The truck driver's union members immediately protested that they didn't want to drive elsewhere. They would have no fuel or tires to get to remote job sites. They would have to stay at points other than their own homes. Despite their complaints, Truckers went ahead with the lease agreement, and the boats continued fitting out for the service.

Meanwhile, rumors began circulating that the Chief Wawatam might also be ordered to go icebreaking. Just in case, in the second week of April, the City of Cheboygan was prepared for service as a precaution. That would provide for auto ferry service, but left no contingency provision for rail cars. The call for the Chief came from the Maritime Commission at 2:30 in the afternoon of April 15, canceling six railroad ferry crossings each day and stranding two passenger trains and about 150 freight cars daily. While the railroads scrambled to rearrange train consists and turn crews around that normally would have crossed on the ferry, mail service was transferred to the Cheboygan. The postmaster highly praised the state crew for getting the mail through, though ice conditions remained severe, and at one point, on April 16, the Cheboygan battled for five hours to make a one-way crossing. For the rest of the ice season, the Cheboygan would be on her own.

Meanwhile, the ferry crews who weren't already working continued to enjoy wartime winter activities. Capt. Louis Strahan moved into a new home purchased from former Western Union operator Harold Osborne. Other crewmen had other pursuits. Many participated in cribbage tournaments, which became a regular feature at Capt. Ben Houle's house. His wife would serve a meal to conclude the evening. Later, the ferry workers organized a cribbage team to compete with other teams around the region. It was just one way they whiled away the winter in wartime.

CHARLIE TAKES CHARGE

The competition for the post of highway commissioner was heated, with both candidates, incumbent Democrat Lloyd B. "Dutch" Reid and Republican Charles Martin Ziegler, former Deputy Commissioner, running advertisements and making speeches throughout the state. The election was held April 5 and less than half a million ballots were cast. As in the previous November, Republicans captured the majority at the polls, bringing G.O.P. control back to the highway department for the fist time in a decade, in the person of Charlie Ziegler, who had spent the decade away from the department, first as a private consultant, and later as city assessor in Lansing. He would now resign that job to return to state employ.

Reid telegrammed: "I wish you well in administering the best highway engineering organization and the finest highway system in the nation."

Though his term lasted for several more months, Reid immediately gave two weeks' notice and resigned effective April 19, about the amount of time it would take the election board to certify the results of the election. Ziegler, the declared winner, was then appointed by the governor to fill the balance of Reid's unexpired term, and he took over the office the next day.

Immediately after Ziegler's election, The Detroit Free Press speculated about the future of a bridge at the Straits.

"If the war hadn't already blocked progress, the new regime would move much slower toward a

35 million Mackinac Straits Bridge. Despite the start of causeways, the election probably has deflated that project."

"Future planning will be approached with an open mind," Ziegler countered. "No plan will be scrapped because it originated in someone else's mind, but will be reviewed through studies in which local groups are consulted fully."

Ziegler pledged a cleanup of highway projects and political intrigue.

"There will be no rigging of bids or pre-bid conferences or shakedown of contractors or subcontractors for political help," he said. "Highway contracts in every case will go to the lowest bidder!"

He again promised to keep politics out of the highway department.

Quiet and unassuming, Ziegler waited outside the Department of State offices the day the results were to be certified, until the Board of Canvassers had declared him the winner. Then, clutching his certificate of election, he walked alone to the Supreme Court chamber, where Justice Walther H. North, an old friend, administered the oath of office.

Ziegler said he wanted to get

squared away" before issuing any new operating policies and immediately walked to the Highway Department Executive Office. There he shook hands with Harry C. Coons, Reid's Deputy Commissioner and a Democratic holdover. Reid himself had left the building at the end of his tenure the day before. So had many others, although there was no basis to the rumors that most engineers who remained would walk out under the "new man."

Ziegler was, of course, not unfamiliar with the highway department's halls. But the agency he took over on April 20, 1943, was nothing like the one he'd left a decade before. Most of the senior engineers he'd worked with had either retired, been purged in the Democratic sweep of the department under "Pat" Van Wagoner, or forced out in cuts to balance an ever shrinking budget. Most of the talented junior engineers had been swept up in the draft. Ziegler found he had only a skeleton staff both in the office and in the field, made up of mid-level, low paid personnel eager to get on with the job, but with no budget to do it.

Ziegler was undaunted. Michigan's new Highway Commissioner claimed he was not a politician. His opponents readily agreed. But in reality, while Ziegler played the political game very well, he was more apt to speak his mind, carry out his promises, and be particularly blunt about his opponents. The Democrats soon learned to hate him. But the public would grow to love him, and even his opposition had to agree that when he wanted to, Charlie Ziegler could exude charm and warmth.

Michigan's newest Highway Commissioner was born in Noble County, Indiana, May 23, 1888, the son of Christ M. and Barbara Popp Ziegler. His family moved to Michigan, and in 1908, he was graduated from Saginaw High School. While studying for his civil engineering degree at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, he worked part time at the Sheehan Book Store, where he developed a voracious appetite for reading. After graduation in 1913, he was hired into the Engineering Department of the Ann Arbor Railroad, where he undoubtedly gathered some knowledge of that company's railway ferries. Forced out by the railroad's bankruptcy in 1914, he joined the Saginaw Public Works Department, rising to Assistant City Engineer at the age of only 29 years. He served the U.S. government at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, from 1918 to 1919, when he entered the employ of the State Highway Department for the first time. He received regular promotions, rising to deputy commissioner before Van Wagoner took over in 1933. In the decade since, he'd worked on a number of projects in private practice, including buildings for Michigan State University, before becoming Lansing City Assessor. When he returned to highways, it felt like he had already been there for a lifetime.

Another man who had spent a lifetime in State employ passed away April 22. Former Governor Luren D. Dickinson died of a heart attack at his farm in Charlotte, near Lansing. He was 84 and had also been lieutenant governor while Charles Ziegler had been deputy highway commissioner in the previous Republican administration.

After attending the funeral, Ziegler set off on a course that would steer the Highway Department and Michigan Transportation out of the doldrums and into the future. But it would be a long path with many political pitfalls. Just four days after taking office, Ziegler attended the first of many Road Builder's Banquets. Speaking at the Sherman Hotel in Escanaba, Ziegler said, "My single purpose as commissioner is to keep up the good work" started by Horatio "Good Roads" Earle and his successors. He called for improvements to the road system for post-war drivers, and particularly a "broad program of improvements to the recreation areas of Northern Michigan and the farmto market road system."

But to do that, Ziegler would first have to get his department back in the black by getting a handle on spending. While he immediately approved $2,269,000 for the Detroit Industrial Expressway, a war construction project, he froze $1,743,000 in other, alreadyawarded contracts until he had a chance to review them. He also stalled the planned resurfacing of 85 miles of trunk line highways, until he could personally inspect the sections.

Ziegler knew that he couldn't do all the reviews himself, so he appointed Harry T. Ward to be chief deputy commissioner. A 1922 graduate of Carnegie Tech, the 44-year-old Ward had more recently been a civil engineer with steel fabricators E. C. Mahon Co. But while he now had an assistant, Ziegler made sure the media knew he was in charge. It quickly became clear that if information were to be given to the press, it would be over the new commissioner's name and signature. He also instituted a new in-house magazine for employee communication. The "Hyligher" would include news and gossip by and for department workers, including those who were serving in the military overseas.

Ziegler also took steps to show his subordinates the "pecking order" he intended to maintain in his department. In late April he sent new signature cards to bankers so he could sign checks on department accounts, and on May 1, he addressed a hand-written note to Captain Loughlin at the Straits.

"This is to advise you that from this day on, I am holding you personally 100% responsible for all operations of the Michigan State Ferries. This includes full authority over all operations and personnel. -CMZ."

But Ziegler also instructed Loughlin on how he wanted appointments to be handled for work on the ferries: "I would advise that…no such employees be selected where they are purely and simply political employees, and only those should be kept who are best fitted for the work required, in an efficient manner and with full courtesy to the traveling public who use these ferries. Courtesy, efficiency, moral integrity, reliability, and appearance are to receive first consideration and must be required of all employees."

But not so many employees would be needed in 1943. While Ziegler and Ward settled into their new desks, March and April cross- Straits auto traffic statistics were tabulated. Use of the ferries had declined nearly 50% from the year before. Passenger traffic did not decline as much, for with the rail ferries off icebreaking, rail passengers had to take the state boat across. Fortunately, the light auto traffic and the weather at the Straits allowed the City of Cheboygan to hold her own. The City of Munising had already left for Detroit in late April. The City of Petoskey was scheduled to follow in early May.

But as the second boat prepared to go south, Detroit Teamsters threatened a strike if Truckers Steamship put the ferries in service. Truckers President Troy H. Browning noted that his company wasn't involved, but the difficulty was between the union and the trucking companies, 34 of which had already agreed to use his new service. While the Teamsters felt the ferries might cost Detroit truckers their jobs, Browning assured them they would have new schedules and routes worked out for them. At about that point, someone remembered Ziegler's contract freeze, and, not wanting to offend anyone, including the politically savvy Teamsters Union, the lease to Truckers was added to the pile of contracts stalled for the commissioner's review.

Meanwhile, the Sainte Marie (II) continued icebreaking in Lake Superior. But unexpectedly, the Chief Wawatam was told to leave the upper lakes and to take on other, more unusual duties.

To combat the threat of enemy submarine "wolf-packs," targeting merchant ships in the North Atlantic, freighters were formed into convoys, protected by armed naval escorts. But so much tonnage had been lost that Naval escorts were, themselves, at a premium. Any ship capable of mounting weapons was pressed into service, along with military ships that normally did other tasks. That included Coast Guard cutters like the icebreaker Escanaba and her sisters from the Great Lakes. Reassigned to convoy deep-sea escort duty, they left the still-icebound lake boats with little help to open the 1943 shipping season.

As a substitute, the Chief was sent to break through the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers and free the harbor in Buffalo on Lake Erie. After a brief stopover at the Straits for inspection and refueling, the big ferry headed south, still leaving no rail connection between Michigan's peninsulas. After finishing her work, the Chief would spend three weeks in drydock in Ashtabula, Ohio, for refurbishing. She wouldn't return to the Straits until the first week of June.

The rail payroll, a large part of the regional economy, plummeted. It was further damaged by the announcement in early May that the Pennsylvania and Pere Marquette Railroads would cut their summer resort trains. The Department of Defense ordered them curtailed for the "conservation of passenger equipment."

Commissioner Ziegler finally determined that leasing the larger state ferries for use on Lake Erie was probably a good idea and gave his approval in mid-May. But to keep an eye on them, he decided that several of each ship's officers should go along to be in charge and protect the department's interests in the vessels. Their captains and chief engineers were told to take leaves of absence from their Civil Service jobs, and that while with Truckers Steamship, they would be paid by that firm.

To the officers affected, the request to sign pre-prepared leave of absence request letters raised red flags, and in a confidential letter to Ziegler, sent from Toledo Shipbuilding, where the boats were being refitted, Douglas Bynorth, now a Lt. Commander in the military for the duration, wrote that he felt that representing the state, but being paid by Truckers, might be a conflict of interest. He noted that it would be hard to "serve two masters," and asked that he be kept under Civil Service, like the men who worked the railroad ferries each winter. Ziegler responded that he had discussed the matter with department attorneys and, for insurance and liability reasons, the men would have to be paid by Truckers. He assured him, however, that the men who went to Truckers would return to their full Civil Service status and priority on their return to the state's payroll.

Now, with the two larger ships under lease, only the two smaller boats would be available for the summer, so The Straits of Mackinac was prepared to join the Cheboygan for service. In May, workers removed her upper auto deck to allow higher truck clearances. Her second deck went to a wartime scrap metal drive. The dockside elevators, built with so much fanfare the decade before, would never be used to hoist cars again.

Ziegler announced he expected that with 14 scheduled daily crossings, the two smaller boats would give completely adequate service for Memorial Day. Just in case, the returned Sainte Marie (II) was commissioned to "stand by" if she was needed. She was not. The holiday "rush," was non-existent. Memorial Day weekend traffic was only a trickle, falling 66.9% below the levels of the same period in 1942. While bus and train traffic increased, the diminished auto volume left resort operators with a most pessimistic outlook for the upcoming tourist season.

The holiday itself was foreboding. The weekend was extremely foggy. At times the Sainte Marie (II), back to carrying freight cars, relied on not only the dock siren but on train whistles to find her berth. A tragic accident also cast a pall over state workers moods. Thirty-sixyear old Andrew John Price, a fireman from the Great Lakes Towing tug Louisiana, which had docked on the coaling side of St. Ignace State Dock 2, fell off the dock and died of an apparent heart attack while struggling in the water. The dock watchman and a passerby recovered his body.

There was one other death of note that week. On May 25, Henry Ford's only son, Edsel Ford, died following a bout of fever at his home on Lake St. Clair.

With the decision to lease the larger ferries for use on Lake Erie, Assistant Ferry Superintendent Fletcher C. Davis also requested a leave of absence from the fleet. He was hired to take over as assistant to Truckers Steamship President Troy Browning. He planned to leave St. Ignace for Detroit on June 10. A number of other workers also voluntarily took leaves to join the Truckers enterprise. For many, it turned out to be a bad decision, but at the time, they were eager for the work.

With less than a month before his own term of office began, Acting Commissioner Ziegler and Deputy Commissioner Ward visited St. Ignace the weekend before the Detroit service started and spoke with ferry workers, concerned that they might lose their jobs now that the Republican Party was back in charge.

"This is your baby here," Ziegler said. "You people [at the Straits] have qualified personnel with which to man the State Ferries and local people should have their opportunity."

Ziegler again emphasized that he had no intention of making a political organization out of the highway department. "But," he added, "there is not the traffic at the Straits this year to warrant the personnel of former years, and there is no reason to 'stuff' the payrolls so that there are three men to do the work of two; no more that it is sound to operate four boats when two are doing the job."

The following Monday, June 14, the two leased ferries began service hauling truck trailers between Detroit and Cleveland. They were staffed by some of the State Ferries most senior crewmembers, for the moment relieved to have what seemed to be a better job opportunity. But the delay imposed by the commissioner had given the Teamster's Union more time to mount opposition to the service. While Troy Browning showed no immediate outward concern, low traffic and canceled contracts plagued Truckers Steamship lines right from their somewhat tardy start.

Foggy weather at the Straits continued to plague navigation, and it led to the collision of two freighters in the early morning of June 15. As the Pittsburgh Steamship Company's Clemson steamed toward Lake Huron in the southbound passage, she collided with the 580-foot Humphrey of Kinsman Transport, which loomed out of the fog bound for Lake Michigan. When it became apparent their ship was doomed, all 39 members of the Humphrey's crew jumped in the water. Though she had a hole in her bow, the Clemson remained afloat and launched lifeboats to pick up survivors. The Humphrey, loaded with 12,000 tons of iron ore, settled rapidly to the bottom, leaving only about eight feet of her spars jutting above the water. The wreck, 1.875 miles off Old Mackinaw Point, was squarely in the ferry lane. For months it would pose a unique curiosity for ferry riders and a hazard for ferry crews to avoid.

Straits residents were shocked to learn of another sinking that week. An explosion of "unknown origin" rocked the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba while on convoy duty in the North Atlantic. The well-known Straits icebreaker went down quickly. Of her normal compliment of 60 officers and men, only two sailors survived.

Next week: Construction continues on the causeway, despite legal wrangling.

Copyright 2004 by Les Bagley. All rights reserved.