The Michigan Maritime Museum is set to conclude its Steamship Lecture series with a presentation called “Crossing the Inland Sea: Sailing from the Windy City to St. Joseph and South Haven.” Bob Myers from the Historical Society of Michigan will join the museum Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m. for the presentation.
The route across Lake Michigan from Chicago to the lakeshore communities of South Haven, St. Joseph, and Benton Harbor was a busy one during the Golden Age of Great Lakes steamships. Great Lakes shipping companies billed their service across Lake Michigan as “The Dustless Way to Happy Land.”
Steamships carried highly perishable cargoes of fruit from southwest Michigan orchards to Chicago dinner tables, and tourists from the hot city sidewalks to Michigan’s pleasant beaches and tourist resorts. Join us to discover the delights – and occasional hazards – of sailing the inland seas from our own community to the Windy City! Like the other programs in the Museum’s 2022-23 lecture series, this look into the history of Great Lakes passenger steamships complements the new exhibit, Full Steam Ahead.
In this role, Myers oversees many of the Society’s educational programs, including its Michiganders on the Road motorcoach tours, History Skills Workshops, and Michigan Heritage Home awards.
“Bob is a great asset to Michigan history and a wealth of knowledge about the steamship
industry in this area,” said Patti Montgomery-Reinert, Executive Director. “We’re thrilled to welcome him here for a talk that will bring our exhibit to life!”
Tickets are free for museum members and $10 for non-members. For more information about the Museum’s events, please visit https://www.michiganmaritimemuseum.org/events/.
