S. S. Badger

**Photo by James W. Lilly

The S. S. Badger, built by the C&O Railway, was launched in 1952. It, along with a fleet of other C& O (formerly Pere Marquette) Railway, ferried railroad cars across Lake Michigan between Ludington, MI and ports Manitowoc, WI, Kewaunee, WI, Milwaukee, WI, and Menominee, WI, year round. The ferries also carried automobiles and passengers.

By crossing the lakes directly, freight heading east and west saved several days time vs. going around the lake, avoided the bottlenecks in Chicago, and gave the railroads a direct connection to western (or eastern) carriers. Cross-lake transportation of rail cars began in the late 1800's. The C&O discontinued the carrying of railroad cars in the 1970's.

The picture shows the S.S. Badger entering Ludington harbor on May 20, 2001. Today, the S.S. Badger, now privately owned, is the last coal fired ferry on the great lakes. It still carries automobiles and passengers between Ludington and Mantiwoc during the summer travel season. S. S. Badget can carry 620 passengers and 180 vehicles. The relaxing, enjoyable 3.5 hour voyage is truly a step back in time. You can even rent a state room for your journey across the lake. For more information, visit www.ssbadger.com.