Launching of the Freighter Daniel J. Morrell in Bay City Michigan 1906
This vintage postcard captures the launching of the freighter Daniel J. Morrell in Bay City, Michigan, in 1906. Built by the West Bay City Shipbuilding Company, the Daniel J. Morrell was a steel-hulled lake freighter designed for hauling bulk cargo such as iron ore, coal, and grain across the Great Lakes. The dramatic scene shows the vessel sliding stern-first into the water, a common launch method for large ships of the era.
At 601 feet long, the Daniel J. Morrell was one of the larger freighters of its time, built during a period of rapid industrial expansion when steel freighters were replacing older wooden vessels. The ship operated for 60 years, primarily transporting iron ore from the Upper Midwest to steel mills in places like Cleveland and Detroit.
Tragically, the Daniel J. Morrell met a devastating fate on November 29, 1966, when it broke apart in a fierce storm on Lake Huron. Of the 29 crew members on board, only one survived—Dennis Hale, who endured freezing temperatures for nearly 40 hours in a lifeboat. The wreck of the Morrell remains one of the most well-known maritime disasters on the Great Lakes.
This postcard is a striking reminder of both the shipbuilding legacy of Bay City and the long and often perilous history of Great Lakes freighters.
