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Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company: Remarkable Tales from Michigan’s Golden Age of Steam
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Apr 12, 2025
Step aboard the grand steamers that once ruled the Great Lakes. In this episode, we trace the story of the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company — from its 19th-century founding to its peak as a fleet of luxurious passenger ships and, finally, to its quiet demise in the postwar era. You’ll hear about moonlit voyages, the majestic City of Detroit III, legendary designer Frank E. Kirby, wartime conversions, and the final season marked by tragedy. A compelling look at the transportation network that connected Michigan and the Midwest — and what it meant to the generations who sailed those inland seas. Read the full story at Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company: Remarkable Tales from Michigan’s Golden Age of Steam. (https://michigan4you.com/detroit-cleveland-navigation-company-history/)
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[Music]
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from the shores of Lake Erie to the
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docks of Detroit the Detroit and
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Cleveland Navigation Company once ruled
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the inland seas a fleet of floating
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palaces carrying travelers dreamers and
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cargo across the Great Lakes this is the
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end of the road in Michigan today we set
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sail into the golden age of steam travel
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when sidewheelers and steel giants
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brought comfort elegance and connection
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to Michigan's waterfront cities this is
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the story of the DNC line its rise
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romance and final farewell origins on
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the Great Lakes 1850 to 1870s the
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Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company
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DNC traces its roots to the mid 19th
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century when steam ships were vital
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connectors between growing Great Lake
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cities in 1850 Captain Arthur Edwards
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launched the Detroit and Cleveland
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steamboat line beginning with two modest
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paddle wheel steamers the Southerner and
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the Baltimore offering overnight service
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between Detroit and Cleveland these
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early boat trains were humble compared
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to what followed but they met a pressing
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need carrying travelers and freight
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across Lake Erie in an era when
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railroads were still sparse the
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enterprise was incorporated in 1868 as
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the Detroit and Cleveland Steam
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Navigation Company which formalized a
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venture that would soon blossom into a
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regional institution yet growth did not
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come without perils in June 1868 the
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steamer Morning Star one of the
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company's ships collided with a scooter
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in the darkness off Lraine Ohio and sank
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with a heavy loss of life the tragedy
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which claimed at least 30 lives
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underscored the dangers of Great Lakes
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navigation in that era despite such
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setbacks the DNC line persevered its
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early captains and crews earned a
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reputation for grit and reliability
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building passenger trust by the 1870s
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the company was poised to expand beyond
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its small beginnings buoied by the Great
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Lakes growing importance as highways of
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commerce and travel a new captain at the
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helm James McMillan and expansion 1870s
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1900 a turning point came in the late
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1870s when Detroit industrialist James
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McMillan set his sights on the steamship
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business about a decade after
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incorporation McMillan a railroad and
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ship building magnet took control of a
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DNC line under his leadership the
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company entered a golden age of
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expansion mcmillan was already president
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of the Detroit Dry Dock Company a major
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shipyard and wielded significant
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influence in business and politics his
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resources and vision helped transform
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DNC from a modest regional line into one
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of the Great Lakes premier passenger
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carriers the line not only survived
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financial panics in 1873 and 1893 but it
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thrived mcmillan consolidated rival
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routes and upgraded the fleet ushering
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in larger and more luxurious vessels in
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1878 the company launched the first city
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of Detroit a steamer designed by the
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brilliant naval architect Frank E kirby
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this began a naming tradition city of
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Detroit city of Cleveland etc that would
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brand D and C ships as floating
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extensions of their home cities by the
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turn of the 20th century business was
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booming and DNC had earned a reputation
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for excellence mcmillan's hand at the
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helm followed by his family after he
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died in 1902 ensured that DNC became
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synonymous with dependable service and
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expanding horizons the lines network
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grew to reach ports beyond Detroit and
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Cleveland including Buffalo Toledo and
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Machinak Island reflecting Detroit's
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emergence as a hub of Midwest travel
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floating Palaces of the Great Lakes 1900
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to 1920s at the dawn of the 20th century
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a trip on a DNC steamer was both
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practical transportation and a romantic
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adventure in an era before jetliners and
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freeways Michigan and Midwest travelers
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often relied on these floating hotels to
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f them overnight to distant cities each
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evening from spring through fall
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passengers boarded DNC's palatial ships
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enjoyed dinner and music and then
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drifted to sleep in cozy stateooms
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awakening the following day at their
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destination the DNC navigation company
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became famed as the greatest of the
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Great Lakes night lines a maritime
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equivalent of the redeye train its
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vessels were soon acclaimed as floating
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palaces and even honeymoon ships
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celebrated for their comfort and
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grandeur company brochures boasted that
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no safety device no matter how
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insignificant is overlooked no item that
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adds to the comfort of the passenger is
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neglected indeed the experience could
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rival ocean liners one Detroit newspaper
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raved in 1908 that the newest DNC
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steamer city of Cleveland 3 was the most
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luxuriously furnished and most
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completely equipped passenger vessel on
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the lakes not excelled in appointments
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or comforts by the best type of
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oceangoing steamers travelers could
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stroll plush carpeted salons under
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crystal chandeliers relax in lounges
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like the elegant Gothic Room or
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prominade on the deck under the stars
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during this heyday DNC continually
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outdid itself with ever grander ships
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naval architect Frankie Eie Kirby
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renowned as the greatest Great Lakes
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ship designer was commissioned to create
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a new generation of steamers for the
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line in 1907 the City of Cleveland 3 was
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launched the third to bear that name and
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at 402 ft long she was then the largest
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in the fleet with her twin tall stacks
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and side paddle wheels the C3 could
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carry up to 4,500 passengers 1,500 in
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overnight births and boasted interiors
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by designer Louis Kyle that resembled a
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grand hotel in 1912 Kirby topped this
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achievement a few years later with the
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City of Detroit 3 a vessel many would
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call his crowning masterpiece at roughly
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500 ft from stem to Stern the City of
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Detroit 3 was the most expensive largest
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and most luxurious passenger freshwater
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vessel afloat at the time it was built
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as an engineering journal noted nothing
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that money could buy has been omitted in
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its construction more than 6,000
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spectators watched her launch at the
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Detroit Shipbuilding Yard in October
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1911 a spectacle of civic pride complete
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with mayoral and senatorial dignitaries
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in attendance the city of Detroit 3 with
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five decks of cabins ornate wood carved
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salons and over 1,000 electric lights
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truly earned the moniker queen of the
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Great Lakes not content with those
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triumphs DNC pushed the limits of ship
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building in the 1920s the company's
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slogan that it operated the largest and
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finest fleet of sidewheel steamers in
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the world was no idol boast in 1924 it
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introduced the Greater Detroit and
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Greater Buffalo a pair of sister ships
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that were the world's largest sidewheer
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passenger steamers ever built up to that
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time each stretched an astonishing 536
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ft in length with a beam of 96 ft these
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behemoths could carry over 2,000
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passengers and even had space to ferry
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over a 100 automobiles in their hold a
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nod to the emerging age of the motorc
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car with a fleet that now included the
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two graders the city of Detroit 3 and
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city of Cleveland 3 and the earlier
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twins eastern states and western states
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the DNC line reigned supreme on the
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Great Lakes by the mid 1920s these
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steamers were more than transportation
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they were a defining feature of summer
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life in Michigan and the surrounding
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states life aboard the nightboats a
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voyage on a DNC nightboat was an
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experience to savor after the lines were
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cast off from the docks of Detroit or
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Cleveland passengers settled in for an
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evening of gentle travel by water the
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ships themselves were destinations
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floating resorts appointed with rich
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mahogany woodwork stained glass accents
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and plush furnishings many featured a
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grand salon or ballroom where an
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orchestra might play tunes of the day
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waltzes rags and fox trots while
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passengers in their finest evening wear
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danced on hardwood floors others
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preferred the simple pleasure of a
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stroll on the deck under the glow of
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electric deck lamps travelers would lean
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against the rail to feel the cool lake
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breeze and watch the ship's wake foaming
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under the paddle wheels the stars above
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and the distant lighthouse beacons
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guided the way as the steamer plied
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through the night those seeking quieter
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pastimes could retire to the library or
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writing room or find a nook on the
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prominade with a deck chair to read and
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relax at dinnertime white jacketed
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stewards served hearty meals in the
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dining saloon fresh great lakes white
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fish roast beef and fanciful desserts
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accompanied by the clink of fine china
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and silver such comforts led business
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travelers and vacationers alike to
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choose the boats over the train indeed
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DNC became known for its excellent
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service and fine cuisine as the night
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deepened passengers retired to private
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stateaterooms lulled to sleep by the
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steady thump of the engines and the
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lakes's rhythm refreshing sleep was a
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selling point many awoke at dawn truly
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rejuvenated sunrise found the steamers
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gliding into port the busy warf of
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Cleveland the industrial harbor of
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Buffalo or the peaceful Machin Island
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dock where travelers stepped ashore
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rested and charmed by the journey itself
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trials and tragedies on the inland seas
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despite the gaity and grandeur the D and
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sealine weathered its share of storms
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and sorrow the unpredictable Great Lakes
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could turn treacherous and even the
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finest crew was not immune to misfortune
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one early incident the wreck of the
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Morning Star in 1868 reminded everyone
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of the risks inherent in maritime travel
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the collision that sent the Morning Star
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to the bottom of Lake Erie happened in
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the dead of night and with little
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warning survivors clung desperately to
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debris until rescued hours later by a
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sister ship but dozens of lives were
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lost in those dark waters such tragedies
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haunted the memories of sailors and
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underscored the importance of ever
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improving safety measures over the years
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DNC ships also had other close calls and
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mishaps even the majestic city of
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Detroit 3 endured a rocky start on her
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first voyage in May 1912 a
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miscommunication in the engine room
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caused the brand new Leviathan to
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accidentally ram a smaller vessel the
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Joseph Sea Suit at the Detroit dock the
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little wooden freighter sank mercifully
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with no loss of life and the embarrassed
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crew of the city of Detroit 3 quickly
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gained a lesson in caution the great
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ship went on to a long and storied
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career without further incident but the
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tale of her minor scrape on launch day
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became part of DNC lore fire was another
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constant worry on steam ships the city
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of Cleveland 3 nearly met a dire fate
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before ever carrying a passenger when a
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mysterious blaze gutted her interior
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during construction in 1907 leading to
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hurried rebuilding amid rumors of arson
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she rose from the ashes in splendid form
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only to face tragedy decades later at
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the end of her life on a foggy morning
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in June 1950 the opening day of what
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would be DNC's final season the city of
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Cleveland 3 was struck by an upbound
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Norwegian freighter the Ravnf gel off
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Harbor Beach in Lake Huron the pleasure
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crews had 89 passengers aboard members
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of a Michigan Chamber of Commerce
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heading to Detroit for a baseball game
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when the freighter loomed out of the
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mist and ripped into the steamer's port
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side in the chaos four people lost their
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lives including the police chief and a
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former mayor of Benton Harbor who had
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been enjoying the outing thanks to
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sturdy construction the C3 stayed afloat
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and even managed to limp back to Detroit
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under her own power investigators found
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that her captain was at fault for
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sailing too fast in dense fog and too
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close to shore violating safety rules
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the collision of 1950 cast a somber
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cloud over the line's final days it was
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a bitter irony that a company known for
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safety and comfort met its end with a
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fatal accident yet throughout its
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century of operations the DNC line had a
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strong safety record given the millions
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of passengers carried the twilight of
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steamship travel 1930s 1950s by the
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1930s the world around the DNC line was
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changing rapidly the rise of the
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automobile the spread of paved highways
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and the growing convenience of inner
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city trains and buses all began to chip
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away at the steamship patronage the
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Great Depression of that decade also
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tightened the public's travel budgets
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and the once full pleasure cruisers saw
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fewer passengers dnc continued to
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promote the romance of lake travel but
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numbers began to slowly fall as the
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whims of human nature turned to new
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modes of transit still the company
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fought to adapt during World War II the
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DNC line enjoyed an unexpected
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renaissance gasoline was rationed and
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long-d distanceance driving curtailed
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prompting travelers to return to the
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lakes the steamers once again carried
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near capacity crowds sometimes including
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servicemen or war workers on the move
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one of the fleet the Greater Buffalo was
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requisitioned by the US Navy and
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converted into a training aircraft
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carrier on the Great Lakes an
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astonishing second life for a former
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cruise ship renamed USS Sable she helped
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train naval aviators on Lake Michigan
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the remaining DNC vessels maintained
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civilian service through the war
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offering a nostalgic taste of luxury to
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those weary of wartime austerity however
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when the war ended in 1945 America's
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love affair with the automobile and
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airplane exploded new highways and
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postwar prosperity meant families hit
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the road in their own cars or took to
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the skies for faster travel the
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convenient overnight steamer was
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suddenly anacronistic to many by 1950
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passenger bookings had plummeted to the
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point that only a few ships were still
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running and those were often half empty
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the tragic city of Cleveland 3 collision
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in June 1950 was in effect the final
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blow to a company already on the brink
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dnc canled the remainder of that
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season's sailings and on May 9th 1951 it
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formally announced the suspension of all
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service on the Great Lakes after 100
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years of operation the Detroit and
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Cleveland Navigation Company quietly
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dissolved ending an era the graceful
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steamers that had once been the pride of
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Detroit's waterfront now faced uncertain
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fates one by one the proud fleet was
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sold off for scrap the Greater Detroit
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once the largest of them all was towed
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to a remote spot on Lake St clair and
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deliberately burned in 1956 her charred
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hull later cut up for metal the city of
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Detroit 3 and her remaining sisters were
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also scrapped that same year by 1959
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almost nothing was left of the DNC lines
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floating palaces except memories it was
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a poignant sunset for a fleet that had
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once ruled the lakes a quiet end
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watching from mothball births as the
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world moved on legacy of the DNC line
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though the steamers are gone the legacy
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of the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation
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Company lives on in Michigan lore and
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maritime history for decades the DNC
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nightboats had been an integral thread
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in the social and economic fabric of the
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Great Lakes region their schedules were
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as reliable as the sunrise and their
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whistles were a familiar sound on summer
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nights in Detroit the memory of those
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honeymoon ships and floating excursions
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remains a source of regional pride a
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part of the city of Detroit 3 survives
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the ornate woodpanled Gothic room where
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so many passengers once gathered was
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salvaged before the ship's scrapping its
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carved mahogany panels and stained glass
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details were reassembled and displayed
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in the dosine Great Lakes Museum on
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Detroit's Bell Isle preserving a piece
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of the grandeur for future generations
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the Greater Detroit's huge bow anchor
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which was cut loose and sunk during the
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ship's fiery scrapping in 1956 was
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painstakingly recovered from the Detroit
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River by divers decades later today
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restored and gleaming that 6,000lb
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anchor sits outside the Detroit Wayne
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County Port Authority as a tangible link
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to the past enthusiasts and historians
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celebrate the DNC line's contributions
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throughout the Great Lakes models of its
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ships old company brochures and black
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and white photographs of ladies with
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parasols on sunlit decks are treasured
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in local archives the company's
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importance is also measured by its
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impact on travel patterns it connected
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cities and people long before the
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interstate highways fostering tourism
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and commerce between Michigan Ohio New
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York and Ontario it was one of the major
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passenger shipping enterprises in
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America's inland waters the story of the
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Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company
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is thus preserved in artifacts and
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archives and the collective memory of
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Michigan it endures as a story of
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enterprise and elegance of summer nights
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on calm waters and the ceaseless
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progress of technology the DNC line
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became a legend its legacy sails on in
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every nostalgic tale told of the great
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steamers those fabulous floating palaces
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that once made the Great Lakes their
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home the steam whistles are silent now
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the decks are gone but the spirit of the
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Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company
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still lingers in Michigan's collective
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memory in museum exhibits in photographs
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and in stories passed down through
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generations thank you for joining me on
15:43
this voyage if you enjoyed this episode
15:46
please share it with a friend subscribe
15:47
to the podcast and leave a review you've
15:50
been listening to The End of the Road in
15:51
Michigan where every story leads us
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somewhere worth remembering until next
15:55
time safe travels
16:00
oh
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[Music]
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