History of the Pere Marquette Carferries

#108 Shown approaching Ludington harbor, Pere Marquette 20 shows off her sleek lines and covered upper pilothouse in this view from the late 1920s. As built in the early 1900s, the car ferries typically had an open flying bridge for navigation. Permanent enclosures were added gradually beginning about 1916. (Photograph by Erhardt Peters Authors Collection)

P77 #109 A row of idle Pere Marquette car ferries was a common sight in the area known as "Misery Bay" during the depths of the economic depression of the 1930s. Misery Bay was a term used as early as 1926 when six ships were in the docks at one time. The PM 19 and 21 were receiving new coats of paint and the PM 20 was reported in Misery Bay. (Photograph by Erhardt Peters Authors Collection)

#110 On a frigid winter day during the 1920s, Pere Marquette 20 takes o a load of freight at the south slip in Ludington. Pere Marquette Lake, which connects to Lake Michigan, often froze heavily during severe winters, requiring the use of tugboats to keep the harbor open while the car ferries were on their way across the lake to Wisconsin. (Photograph by Erhardt Peters Author's Collection)

P78 #111 The Pere Marquette 20 is shown being converted to an automobile ferry for use across the Straits of Mackinac, connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. This work was carried out by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in 1938; the contact required new passenger cabins, revamped main deck and a new white paint scheme, replacing traditional car ferry black. She was renamed City of Munising. (Photograph Courtesy of James F. Fay)

#112 An overhead view of the deck plating and pilothouse detail of Pere Marquette 19 and 20 while laid up at Ludington during the Great Depression in Misery Bay. Erhardt Peters had access to many parts of the ship in order to photographically document the ferries. Imagine for a moment the vantage point he had to find to create this photograph. (Photograph by Erhardt Peters Authors Collection)

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