Steamship William G Mather Photo Gallery

The Shipbuilders

"Only their monuments - the ships and the memories of the ships - remain." - Richard J. Wright, Ph.D.

Images of the Steamship William G. Mather Past and Present

Past...the start of her career

• The Steamship William G Mather prior to, and at the moment of her launch at the Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ecorse, Michigan on ddddd, 1925.
• On the builder's ways - 1925.
• Stern view.
• Claire and father prior to the launch.
• Early detail photo of the stern showing original anchor configuration and white stripe.

Past...loading and unloading

• The Mather loading cargo Early in her career. 361520 bytes
• Loading in the late 1920's
• The Mather loading cargo (I believe in the '50s). Note the open telescoping hatch covers. 382674 bytes
• The Mather loading cargo (Late sixties?). 139218 bytes
• The Mather loading cargo Note the open telescoping hatch covers. 137640 bytes
• Huletts unloading the Mather in the late 1920's. Note that a fresh paint job has started on the bow.
• The Mather unloading cargo Early in her career. 111156 bytes
• The Mather unloading cargo Some helpers in the cargo hold 44410 bytes
• The Mather unloading cargo Close-up of Hulett unloader and workers moving cargo to be scooped-up. 123034 bytes

Past...Underway

• The William G. Mather Underway before any navigational aids had been added to her pilot house (1925 ?) -
• The William G. Mather Underway early in her career - 89928 bytes
• The Mather with a deck-load of new automobiles. Once a commmon practice on the Great Lakes for moving new cars there were several ships that were modified to serve the "new car" trade.
• During the winter of 1941 the Mather "led" a convoy of ships through the ice-choked Lake Superior. The "Allouez Express" , as it was called, made the April 28, 1941 issue of Life Magazine. Here is a photo of the Steamship Cadiliac caught in the ice while attempting to pass the Mather.
• The William G. Mather and several of her Cleveland-Cliffs sister ships tied up at the East Ninth Street pier during the steel strike of the early '50s.
• The William G. Mather underway in 1964 after successful installation and sea trials of the first automated boiler control system installed on an American Great Lakes vessel. Greyscale JPG 112056 bytes Greyscale JPG
• The William G. Mather sometime between 1954 and 1964 - 116979 bytes
• The William G. Mather in the early '60's. She is downbound on the Detroit River near the Ambassador Bridge. In the backround one of N&W's rail barge ferrys can be seen.
• Another 1960's vintage photo of the Mather tied up for the winter - jpg 124154 bytes.
• The William G. Mather upbound on the Cuyahoga River sometime in the 1970s - 115753 bytes
• The William G. Mather At the Soo sometime in the 1970s - 102043 bytes
• Downbound with the Blue Water Bridge in the background
• The Mather in drydock. The Mather suffered damage to her bottom plates in 1975 after grounding on a reef after making the turn into Lake Huron off of Detour, MI. The captain beached her in the St. Mary's river. The future of the vessel looked bleak but Cleveland-Cliffs had her repaired inspite of her age at Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay, WI. Another view showing the aft end in drydock.
• Ending views of the Mather's active career with a sunset from the pilot house.

And Today...

• The William G. Mather from her East Ninth Street pier on February 18, 1995 - JPG 70348 bytes
• The Mather loading cargo on July 15, 1995 (Yes, that is the correct date!) - JPG 60283 bytes.
• The Mather as the self-unloading barge Kellstone 1 ties up alongside, July 15, 1995. Note that hatches 5,6,7, and 8 are open to receive cargo. - JPG 64386 bytes
• Looking Good! Fresh gloss black paint applied to the hull, but still with the original Cliffs green deckhouses with white trim.
• The Mather with her new colors applied. Gloss black hull with white deckhouses. This photo was taken before the red trim and hull stripe had been applied. Here is the original artist's conception ofthe Mather in her new colors.

Bedecked for the holidays

• Christmas 1996
• Christmas 1997

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