By Steve Begnoche, Ludington Daily News Managing EditorOne of the most ardent enthusiasts of the Lake Michigan car ferries has produced a pictorial history of the Ludington-based S.S. Badger.
Milwaukee resident Art Chavez is no stranger to Ludington or the car ferries that have crossed the lake from here. For years he has researched, traveled on, and perhaps even been mesmerized by the coal-fired, steam-powered car ferries of Ludington. Now Chavez has created "S.S. Badger, The Lake Michigan Car Ferry," published by Arcadia Publishing as part of its "Images of America" series.
The 128-page soft-covered book arrived in regional bookstores just in time for the S.S. Badger's 50th anniversary sailing season. For those heading out on the lake aboard the Badger, Chavez' book will bring the story of the car ferries and the beloved car ferry to life. Using a mix of photos, promotional materials and engineering drawings gleaned from his and other's collections, Chavez tells a concise tale of the history mostly of the Badger, but also of cross-lake car ferry service.
The bulk of the book focuses on the still-sailing Badger and its sistership, the Spartan, now anchored and unused. Figuring prominently also at times is the former City of Midland, now cut down and reconverted into a shipping barge.
Chavez celebrates the Badger in many ways. In one of the most interesting sections of the engaging book he presents a series of pictures by Sturgeon Bay photographer Herb Reynolds of the 410-foot long Badger's Sept. 6, 1952 launch at Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. Anyone who thinks a still photograph cannot capture the power of an event needs to study these photos as the Badger slides off the launchway into the bay producing what was termed "a mini-tidal wave."
With insight that comes from years of watching, researching, studying, photographing and riding the Badger, Chavez packs an incredible amount of interesting and entertaining detail into the captions that accompany the photos. The story is told chronologically in an easy-to-read manner.
It is clear he knows the story of the Badger and the Lake Michigan car ferries is also a story of the people associated with them, from the owners to the captains to the below-deck crew that keeps the Badger's Skinner Compound Unaflow Marine Steam Engines running 50 years after they were installed.
Chavez has drawn from many resources on both sides of the lake. The Door County Maritime Museum, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum at Manitowoc, the Mason County Historical Society, this newspaper, and personal collections from car ferry buffs such as Max Hanley and Jim Cabot of Ludington and family members of car ferry crews are all represented. The variety of collections represented adds a lot of depth and includes views not commonly seen.
For those who can't get enough information about the Badger, there are diagrams of each deck, cut-aways showing the engines' cylinders and unique piston arrangement and an explanation of how the cycle works.
Or, you can just look for people you know in the photos.
"S.S. Badger, The Lake Michigan Car Ferry" shows the love Chavez long has had for the Badger. Now he's sharing it with all in a very enjoyable book. It's worth adding to your car ferry collection.
