This weekend's induction of 33 sailors and two lighthouse keepers marks the 18th year the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum in Rogers City has honored the men and women who served the Great Lakes shipping industry.
Dave Erickson, curator of the museum, said the list is growing, but at a much slower rate as the number of sailors eligible to be inducted shrinks. He said the families nominate the inductees, but many have moved away or have just forgotten what a vital role people played in the once thriving shipping industry on the Great Lakes.
"We welcome all who have served on the waters of all five Great Lakes whether they shipped out of Calcite, or any of the other ports around the lakes, including Canada," Erickson said. "There are a number of sailors who have retired and moved away, taking their families out of the area. And then there are families right here in Rogers City who had dads and brothers who lived their lives aboard one of the 'gray ghosts' who might be taking that career for granted. These were very special folks who left their families for days at a time to sail for a living."
The celebration begins this afternoon with a tour of the Calcite Quarry Plant. Seating is limited, according to Erickson, and a $2 donation is asked when boarding the bus. Anyone interested is asked to call the museum at 734-0706 for reservations. The bus leaves the museum at 1:30 p.m.
An evening of socializing for the families of the inductees starts at 7 p.m. Erickson said the event is open to the public and will feature videos of the recovery of the bell from the Carl D. Bradley and the discovery of the wreck of the first self-unloader built on the Great Lakes. A donation of $5 will be collected at the door.
The 35 men will be inducted during a luncheon Saturday at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Rogers City. Erickson said 20 of the men sailed aboard Bradley Transportation vessels and the remainder, including the two lighthouse keepers, worked from other ports.
"The story of the lighthouse keepers at the Eagle Harbor light is very interesting," Erickson said. "The men were brothers from Romulus and the elder brother fought in the Civil War. When it came time for him to step down, he asked his brother to take over, and he did. We have word that some of the men's family members are going to be here for the ceremony."
He added that they were a "fraternity of sorts and respond to these types of events in a big way." He said people live in port towns like Rogers City and don't realize the communities are part of the maritime history of the Great Lakes."
For more information on the museum and its exhibits, call 734-0706.
Mike Modrzynski can be reached via e-mail at mmodrzynski@thealpenanews.com.