The lake freighter that has been taking cement from the Medusa-Southdown-Cemex-St. Mary's plant on South Point since the 1960s has reached a milestone, its 100th year of service on the Great Lakes. The Society's June program will be a recollection of the Challenger's century of history after hull #17 was laid down in the Great Lakes Engineering Works' shipyard at Ecorse in the summer of 1905 and she was launched February 7, 1906. This program will be presented by Norm O'Neill of Cleveland, Ohio.

When: Tuesday, June 6, 2006 at 7:00 p.m.
Where: The Depot @ Depot Beach

The Challenger once delivered cement to Milwaukee, Manitowoc, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Toledo, Ferrysburg, Michigan, and Owen Sound, Ontario, but now serves Lake Michigan ports only. She is 552 feet long, 56 feet wide, weighs about 11,600 tons, carries a crew of 26, is driven by a 3500 hp engine, can carry 12,541 tons of cement, loads 2500 tons per hour and unloads 1500 tons per hour. At 12 mph her time to Chicago is 24 hours; to Detroit was 32 hours.

The Challenger is a legend in the eyes of shipping buffs because she has become the first Great Lakes vessel of her kind to reach the century mark while still in active service. Her history is remarkable, from the time her first crew members set foot on her deck, some of whom were born during the Civil War. Built for the Shenango Furnace Company of Pittsburgh and schristened the William P. Snyder in honor of the firm's founder, she even had an array of deck cabins for important guests decorated in the last word of Victorian flamboyance. She was prominent during the days when the long ships passed Windmill Point on the Detroit River once every sixty seconds. Later years of economic ups and downs on the lakes left many ships younger and larger than the Challenger out of the picture. But her economical design and sheer durability allowed Medusa Cement to convert her in 1967 to a specialized cement carrier. She sported the gorgon on her funnel for 32 years before she was sold to Southdown. Now she is one of only fifty-three ships registered in active service on the Great Lakes as of 2003.

Join us for a celebration of our frequent visitor's 100th birthday.

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LIBRARY TIME CAPSULE CEREMONY

The Michigan Room Committee of the Charlevoix Public Library cordially invites all members of the Society and the community to the Time Capsule Ceremony that will take place at the site of the new library, 220 Clinton Street at Grant Street, on Tuesday, June 13 at 4:00 p.m. The program will include a presentation of the colors by the Boy Scouts, music by Charlevoix City Band members, a description of the items chosen for inclusion in the time capsule, and the burying of the capsule with the placement of the old Carnegie Library 1909 cornerstone over the burial site. The fourth grade students whose winning essays entitled "What Will Charlevoix Be Like in 2056?" will be introduced. Their essays will be included in the capsule. Light refreshments will follow.

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SUMMARY OF MAY BOARD MEETING MINUTES

A leakage problem in the Depot roof has been addressed. David Miles has been appointed administrator of the Big Rock Point exhibit, with the assistance of Steve Goslee and Karen Lewis. Asbestos removal from the Depot basement and installation of air conditioning are done. The grant for the first phase of the photo digitization project ast been used and closed out. Search terms and cross-referencing of scanned photos will be considered as patron sponsorships of the Society, but a separate entity. More grants for Depot restoration will be looked into. The museum store took in $247.70 in April. There will be no increase in ticket prices for the summer Sunset Cruise on the Emerald Isle. We will build a web page for the Big Rock Point exhibit. The Petoskey News-Review will be using many of our archival photos for their upcoming Reflections supplement on Charlevoix County. The 2007 historic photos calendar and the 2006 Christmas bulb will both feature Big Rock Point nuclear plant. Both have been ordered with delivery expected in June. The Railroad Express baggage cart at the Depot has to be repaired. A vice-president for 2006-2007 is still being sought.

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The Society welcomes new member Douglas S. Peters. Memorial received: from Hugh Harsha for Virginia Olsen.

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REPORT TO THE MEMBERSHIP FROM THE CHARLEVOIX "KEEPER OF THE LIGHT" COMMITTEE

The Bullfrog Light Company is helping the Charlevoix Historical Committee raise money for the restoration of the lighthouse by granting the Charlevoix Keeper of the Light Committee exclusive rights to sell two additional color versions of their popular South Pier Light Candle. This candle sports the beautiful white on navy pen and ink artwork of Charlevoix native Tim Gibbons of Traverse City, son of Society member Marilyn Gibbons and the late Michael Gibbons. It is available in the Bullfrog Outlet Store, the Harsha House Museum store, as well as other retail shops.

The new color versions, available only at the Harsha House, are equally striking. One is white, allowing the pre-1968 red version of the lighthouse to be dramatically emblazoned on the surface. The other is light blue, showing off the lighthouse in its post-1968 white apparel. Stop in to look at the candles and choose your favorite hue. Price: $18. The Historical Society is keeping a record of the most popular color and will post the results each month. It is hoped that perhaps candle sales will help resolve the never-ending debate of whether the most popular lighthouse color is red or white. Those who grew up and/or lived with it before 1968 definitely prefer red. Those who have known it only since 1968 can visualize it in no other hue than white.

Also, we have replenished our stock of lighthouse bumper stickers whose initial printing sold out. They are available at the Harsha House. Price: $5. Again, many thanks to Mike and Rhea Dow for generously sponsoring this sticker campaign.

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COAST GUARD TO SIGN OVER LIGHTHOUSE LEASE

The Coast Guard will formally sign over the lease to the lighthouse on Thursday, May 25 at 3:00 p.m. at City Hall. This is the culmination of years of effort by the Society's Board of Directors, Society members, and many others who have been determined that once the lighthouse leaves Coast Guard jurisdiction it will not be abandoned and lost, but preserved and maintained as one of the most striking, historic, and memorable of Charlevoix's landmarks. Our new fundraising campaign, kicked off through sales of the bumper stickers and candles, marks the beginning of a major restoration fund drive.

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SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Only five seniors submitted essays for our annual scholarship contest, subsequently only one $500 scholarship was awarded this year. The winner is Charles "Chuck" Mason for "The Last Honest Tables -- Charlevoix's Colonial Club," the gambling establishment/restaurant on Meech Street that lasted from the time of World War I until it was raided and closed in 1947. Other entries are Elizabeth Jadwin, "Saving Mt. McSauba;" Madison Ramsey, "Andy's Market and Deli;" Ben Scheelk, "Native Song" on the sounds heard in nature; and Nathaniel Sotuyo, "Big Rock Point: Gone by Not Forgotten." They will all receive a complimentary one-year membership in the Society beginning in July. Our thanks to all for their fine efforts. Vice-President Paul Nowak presented Chuck with his scholarship at the high school honors convocation on May 17.

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BIG ROCK EXHIBIT PROGRESS

The Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant exhibit slated for the Depot this summer is progressing well. Practically all of the photos that will line the walls have been scanned, printed and mounted, with labeling to follow. A large portion of the plant's photo and document archives have been donated and are now housed at the Harsha House waiting for cataloging this winter. All artifacts to be used are at the Depot where mounting of the exhibit will commence immediately after the June 6 program. The plant's personnel have constructed a hands-on control console with switches and dials, and a radiation detector that will demonstrate the natural radiation found in household and natural objects. The large scale model of the plant that used to be at the information center has been refurbished for display at the Depot. Again, we're looking for docents who can contribute one or more days a week from about 12:45 to 4:30 Tuesday through Saturday to sign in visitors and keep an eye on the premises. No knowledge of the plant's operation or history is needed. Call 547-0373 if you can help -- at the Harsha House too.

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