Toledo Harbor Light Supply Run
The above photo shows a boat pulling up to the Toledo Harbor Light.
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Port of Toledo: Then and Now
Images and stories from the museum’s hometown port. Explore the Maumee River as it was, and as it is today, one location at a time.
Explore the River
The Port, Point by Point
This is the map that greets visitors aboard the Sandpiper. Select a marker to see that spot’s photo and story.
Lake Erie Amusement Park ca. 1895
The Lake Erie Amusement Park, ca.
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Construction Crew at the Toledo Terminal Lower River Swing Bridge
This black and white photograph shows Toledo Terminal’s construction crew posed on the Toledo Terminal Lower River Swing Bridge, under construction.
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WYANDOTTE at the C&O Coal Dock
This image shows exactly how coal is loaded onto a bulk freighter at the C&O Coal Dock (now the CSX dock).
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Big Lucas Loading a Package Boiler, 1975
This image shows “Big Lucas”, the Toledo Port Authority’s gantry crane, loading a 108 ton (216,000 pound) package boiler onto the deck of a vessel in 1975.
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FRED G. HARTWELL Launch – Apr. 4, 1908
This image shows the launching of the Fred G.
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Toledo Shipbuilding Company
This image shows the bustling Toledo Shipbuilding Company with several freighters in for repairs as well as at least 2 if not 3 ships getting built in drydock.
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WILLIS B. BOYER and WILLIAM P. SNYDER, JR. at Hocking Valley Docks, 1985
Willis B.
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Toledo – 1876
The above image looks north west across the Maumee River towards downtown Toledo and shows a staggering amount of commercial, industrial and maritime activity.
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Loading Coal, ca. 1910
This image was taken as a series of photos by a photographer with the Detroit Publishing Company sometime between 1907 and 1910.
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Men Climbing on Ice Jams, ca. 1883
Toledo’s location on the Maumee River has provided innumerable benefits, but it isn’t without its drawbacks.
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Grain Docks on the Maumee River
By the 1840s, Toledo was part of an international trade in grain coming from the farmland of the Midwest and traveling through Toledo, across Lake Erie to Buffalo, NY, then by canal boat or railway to the Atlantic Coast where it could be shipped elsewhere in American or overseas.
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DAVID DOWS at Union Railroad Elevator – 1882
The above 1882 advertisement from the Union Railroad Elevator Company highlights Toledo’s importance as a grain port, railway hub and ship building center.
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Tugs at the foot of Monroe Street
The above photo shows a number of tug boats at the foot of Monroe Street on the Maumee River.
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Loading Nets at Madison Avenue Dock – Mar. 24, 1948, 8:45 am
This image shows fishermen at the beginning of their day’s work, loading fishing nets at the city owned docks at the base of Madison Avenue on March 24, 1948 at 8:45 am.
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YUMA after collision into Cherry Street Bridge – March 6th 1908
Yuma after collision into Cherry Street Bridge – March 6th 1908 The above images shows the propeller Yuma, after it collided with the Cherry Street Bridge in Toledo on March 6, 1908.
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TROISDOC Loading a Station Wagon – April 28, 1950
In 1946, after World War II, Willys-Overland Motors began producing their Willys Jeep Station Wagon.
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ARROW
Day excursions to places like the Lake Erie Islands were very popular on the Great Lakes and in Toledo at the turn of the 20th century.
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Ice Skating, ca. 1890
Around the turn of the 20th century, Riverside Park was a popular spot for recreation in all seasons.
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Elevator B Fasset Street Bridge, ca. 1907
Elevator B Fassett Street Bridge, ca.
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Ott’s Boathouse at Walbridge Park, ca. 1900
This image was taken from Ott’s Boathouse at Walbridge Park and shows a variety of leisure vessels on the Maumee River around 1900-1902.
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Then
The working river: schooners, shipyards, coal docks, and the people who built the port.
CHAMPLAIN Crashes into Fassett St. Bridge, April 5, 1957
On April 5, 1957, the Champlain was tied up at the old B&O railroad dock, where it had been wintering for the 1956/1957 season.
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The Anderson’s, July 1965
The aerial image above shows the loading of a “saltie” at the Anderon’s grain elevator in 1965.
Learn more ARROW
Day excursions to places like the Lake Erie Islands were very popular on the Great Lakes and in Toledo at the turn of the 20th century.
Learn more WYANDOTTE at the C&O Coal Dock
This image shows exactly how coal is loaded onto a bulk freighter at the C&O Coal Dock (now the CSX dock).
Learn more Loading Coal, ca. 1910
This image was taken as a series of photos by a photographer with the Detroit Publishing Company sometime between 1907 and 1910.
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US Steel Layup, April 10, 1971
US Steel had a long winter layup during the winter of 1970/1971.
Learn more Toledo Shipbuilding Company
This image shows the bustling Toledo Shipbuilding Company with several freighters in for repairs as well as at least 2 if not 3 ships getting built in drydock.
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PRINS FREDERIK HENDRIK Unloading, May 29, 1952
Here we see the unloading of steel bars from the Prins Frederik Hendrik directly onto rail cars at the Marine Docks on May 29,1952.
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CITY OF TOLEDO Portrait
The portrait above appears to show a man on the deck of the City of Toledo, a passenger ship, built in Toledo, Ohio in 1891.
Learn more Ott’s Boathouse at Walbridge Park, ca. 1900
This image was taken from Ott’s Boathouse at Walbridge Park and shows a variety of leisure vessels on the Maumee River around 1900-1902.
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Flooding with Schooner in Layup
This stereographic image shows a winter scene on Water Street in Downtown Toledo, likely around 1881.
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Ice Skating, ca. 1890
Around the turn of the 20th century, Riverside Park was a popular spot for recreation in all seasons.
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EDWARD B. GREENE, Maiden Voyage – 1952
The Edward B.
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YUMA at Cherry Street Bridge – March 6, 1908
On March 6, 1908, ice on the Maumee River caused the Yuma to come loose from its moorings and strike the Cherry Street Bridge, eventually causing an entire span to fall into the river.
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Prins Frederik Hendrik loading Jeeps – May 17, 1951
Prins Frederik Hendrik was the second ship of that name owned by the Oranje Line.
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Ships of Columbus, ca. 1913
In 1893, the Spanish government built replicas of Christopher Columbus’ ships in honor of the quadricentennial of Columbus’ trip to North America.
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Terminal Railroad Bridge, struck by THUNDER BAY QUARRIES, August 14, 1950
A Bridge struck by a freighter!
Learn more Elevator B Fasset Street Bridge, ca. 1907
Elevator B Fassett Street Bridge, ca.
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Maumee River Yacht Club – May 1941
Founded on January 17, 1899, the original Maumee River Yacht Club (MRYC) was housed in a boathouse located just down the road from this building.
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Dempsey – Williard Arena – 1919
Dempsey – Willard Arena – 1919 On July 4, 1919 the Port of Toledo saw one of the biggest events in the city’s history.
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FRANK E. KIRBY and ARROW
Toledo was a popular port for excursion vessels (also known as dayboats) like the two vessels shown here, likely between 1900-1914.
Learn more Big Lucas Loading a Package Boiler, 1975
This image shows “Big Lucas”, the Toledo Port Authority’s gantry crane, loading a 108 ton (216,000 pound) package boiler onto the deck of a vessel in 1975.
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Keeper Alfred G. Bauman at the Maumee Bay Range Light, 1945
This image shows Alfred G.
Learn more Men Climbing on Ice Jams, ca. 1883
Toledo’s location on the Maumee River has provided innumerable benefits, but it isn’t without its drawbacks.
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Presque Isle Amusement Park, ca. 1890
Beginning in 1884, Presque Isle Amusement Park was developed on a peninsula near where the Maumee River meets Maumee Bay.
Learn more WILLIS B. BOYER and WILLIAM P. SNYDER, JR. at Hocking Valley Docks, 1985
Willis B.
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Unloading Coffee from the POLYKARP, October 17, 1948
The image above shows coffee being unloaded from the Polykarp at the Hills and Pound Dock on October 17, 1948.
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Moving B&O Huletts, 1947
In 1947, the New York Central and Baltimore and Ohio Railroads built a new dock at the Lakefront facility.
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Riverside Park and Boat House
Riverside Park was a very popular waterfront park in Toledo at the turn of the 20th century.
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US Coast Guard Toledo Depot, 1945
The image above shows the US Coast Guard Toledo Depot in 1945.
Learn more Construction Crew at the Toledo Terminal Lower River Swing Bridge
This black and white photograph shows Toledo Terminal’s construction crew posed on the Toledo Terminal Lower River Swing Bridge, under construction.
Learn more FRED G. HARTWELL Launch – Apr. 4, 1908
This image shows the launching of the Fred G.
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Tugs on the Maumee River – 1914
The image above shows four tug boats lined up, Columbia, A.W.
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GREYHOUND Passing through Cherry St. Bridge
This image shows the popular Toledo dayboat Greyhound traversing the Maumee River.
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Toledo Yacht Club Flood February, 1936
This photo shows a flood at the Toledo Yacht Club in late February, 1936.
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Glass Bottles Loading on ASHLEAF at Hills and Pound Dock – Aug. 2, 1949
Toledo Ohio, known popularly as the Glass City, has a long history of glass manufacturing, starting in 1888 when Libbey Glass moved its manufacturing facilities to the city.
Learn more Lake Erie Amusement Park ca. 1895
The Lake Erie Amusement Park, ca.
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Greetings from Toledo, Key to the Sea
This postcard, taken from what is now International Park, from the 1960s recognizes the popular Toledo city slogan ‘Key to the Sea’.
Learn more Toledo – 1876
The above image looks north west across the Maumee River towards downtown Toledo and shows a staggering amount of commercial, industrial and maritime activity.
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Coal Dumpers – Lakefront Dock
The main cargos coming in and out of Toledo in the 20th century were coal and iron ore.
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WILLIAM A. REISS and KANSAS – late 1970s
The above photo shows the William A.
Learn more DAVID DOWS at Union Railroad Elevator – 1882
The above 1882 advertisement from the Union Railroad Elevator Company highlights Toledo’s importance as a grain port, railway hub and ship building center.
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Lakefront Cafeteria (Unknown Location)
Lakeside Cafeteria (Unknown Location) This image shows the cafeteria of the Toledo Lakefront Dock Company.
Learn more Loading Nets at Madison Avenue Dock – Mar. 24, 1948, 8:45 am
This image shows fishermen at the beginning of their day’s work, loading fishing nets at the city owned docks at the base of Madison Avenue on March 24, 1948 at 8:45 am.
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Extreme Low Water at Lakefront Dock – Nov. 17, 1948
This image shows very low water levels at the Lakefront dock on November 17th, 1948.
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Entrance to the Maumee River
This undated aerial photograph shows the entrance to the Maumee River from Maumee Bay and Lake Erie.
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Toledo Frog Pond – 1964
The above image shows four lake freighters laid up in an area known as “the Frog Pond,” in Toledo in early 1964.
Learn more TROISDOC Loading a Station Wagon – April 28, 1950
In 1946, after World War II, Willys-Overland Motors began producing their Willys Jeep Station Wagon.
Learn more Toledo Harbor Light Supply Run
The above photo shows a boat pulling up to the Toledo Harbor Light.
Learn more Grain Docks on the Maumee River
By the 1840s, Toledo was part of an international trade in grain coming from the farmland of the Midwest and traveling through Toledo, across Lake Erie to Buffalo, NY, then by canal boat or railway to the Atlantic Coast where it could be shipped elsewhere in American or overseas.
Learn more YUMA after collision into Cherry Street Bridge – March 6th 1908
Yuma after collision into Cherry Street Bridge – March 6th 1908 The above images shows the propeller Yuma, after it collided with the Cherry Street Bridge in Toledo on March 6, 1908.
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PONTIAC and ADAM E. CORNELIUS at Hocking Valley, Toledo, circa March 1968
This image shows the freighters Pontiac and Adam E.
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Toledo Shipbuilding – May 28th 1910
Toledo Shipbuilding – May 28, 1910 The above photo shows an empty drydock at the Toledo Shipbuilding Co.
Learn more Tugs at the foot of Monroe Street
The above photo shows a number of tug boats at the foot of Monroe Street on the Maumee River.
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Dock Workers (Unidentified Location)
The above image shows an group of dock workers.
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View From Cherry Street Bridge
This is a colored photograph postcard of the Maumee River looking upriver from the Cherry Street.
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Big Lucas and Little Lucas Postcard
The color postcard above shows the two gantry cranes that belong to the TLCPA, “Big Lucas” and “Little Lucas” From the back of the postcard: Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority’s two heavy-lift gantry cranes.
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Guard at the Port
A guard stands at his post at a Guard House off Otter Creek Road.
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Hans Hansen Welding Company – 1947
This image shows the waterfront at Hans Hansen Welding Company in 1947.
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Canoe Carnival at Walbridge Park – 1920s
The land for the first Toledo public park was purchased in 1871.
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Now
The same river today: freighters, tugs, metroparks, and a port still at work.
W&LE Swing Bridge House
Any kind of draw bridge needs a warm and dry place to keep the controls of the bridge.
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Rescue Demonstration
In 2012, there were commemorations across the country to remember the War of 1812.
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Gradel Dock with G-Tugs
The Great Lakes Towing Company is a large presence across the Great Lakes.
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Middlegrounds
While the Port of Toledo is traditionally thought of as a place of commercial and industrial activity, in the 21st century, the Toledo Metroparks have been working hard to also make the downtown area around the Maumee River a place of relaxation and recreation.
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ST. CLAIR Fire
On February 16, 2019, there was a fire raging on the St.
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Buoy Removal
While the range light structures are no longer a part of the Maumee Bay entrance, there are still many aids to navigation guiding ships into the Port.
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Ice Rescue
The cold weather in the Great Lakes area can lead to some beautiful sites, and some dangerous situations.
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Big Lucas in the 21st Century
With the introduction of the big cranes to the Port of Toledo in 1962, the Port of Toledo really opened up the world.
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Oil Spill Training
Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Toledo holds periodical training for different scenarios.
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SAGINAW
The Saginaw, a long term Great Lakes freighter sailing down the Maumee.
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Kayaks on the Maumee
In the 21st century, the Maumee River is increasingly being used for recreation again.
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Dredging the Maumee – II
Dredging the Maumee River is a yearly task taken on by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
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Middlegrounds Metropark
Over the last decade, the Toledo MetroParks have been working hard to develop parklands in the metro area of downtown Toledo.
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Inside the Lighthouse
The Toledo Lighthouse has been a part of the entrance to the Maumee River since 1904.
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HELEEN C
The Heleen C pulled into Toledo on October 12 and loaded at an upriver grain dock and departed on October 14, 2016.
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Station Toledo Receives New Boat
On July 26, 2012, United States Coast Guard Station Toledo received a new 45’ RB-M (response boat medium).
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Algae Bloom
There are always pluses and minuses to forward movement in technology.
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Glass City Metropark
The new Glass City Metropark is being built right next door to the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
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AMERICAN INTEGREITY
American Integrity One of the Great Lakes thousand-footers, American Integrity, is seen here at the Midwest Terminal docks in March 2008, during the winter layup.
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Liebherr Delivery
With the opening of the St.
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PENNSYLVANIA and TADOUSSAC
This image is rather unique and interesting upon viewing—displaying the working conditions of the early winter months surrounded by ice patches and light snowfall.
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USS HURRICANE
During Toledo Navy Week in 2012, the USS Hurricane (PC3) is seen headed down the Maumee passing under the Glass City Skyway Bridge.
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Dredging the Maumee
A tugboat takes on countless amounts of jobs and responsibilities when working the Maumee River and Port of Toledo.
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Mondelēz International
The current wheat flour mill was originally built in 1976 and is now owned and operated by Mondelēz International.
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Water Street Between Cherry and Craig
The stretch of the west side of the river between the Martin Luther King Bridge and the Craig Street Bridge has long been a busy part of the Port of Toledo and continues to be busy to this day.
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Shipping Containers Come to Toledo
Two workers of Midwest Terminals are found overseeing the unloading of multiple shipping containers.
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KAYE E. BARKER loading at the CSX dock
Seen loading cargo at the CSX Coal and Iron Ore terminal is Interlake Steamship Kaye E.
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OAKGLEN Passing through MLK Memorial Bridge
With the skillful assistance of a Great Lakes Tug, the Canadian Steamship Line (CSL) Oakglen is seen effortlessly passing through the Cherry Street drawbridge.
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Downtown on the Maumee from Above
This is a beautiful drone captured photo of the National Museum of the Great Lakes with the Toledo city in the background.
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Toledo Yacht Club – Winter 2020
Established at the end of the Civil War in 1865, the Toledo Yacht Club remains one of the longest active boating clubs in the states.
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Iceboating
Iceboating has long been a sport as well as a recreation, since the 17th century.
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Painting ALOUTTE SPIRIT
Painting Alouette Spirit This is the Alouette Spirit and her tug Wilf Seymour at the MidWest Terminal dock getting some cosmetic touch-ups.
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USS DEWERT
Since the War of 1812, there has been very little naval activity on the Great Lakes.
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Maumee River Today
This image is a perfect example of what the Maumee River is today.
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Firefighter Rappelling
Firefighters in a port city need additional training in working around ships and wharves.
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EDGAR B. SPEER in Layup
The Edgar B.
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Tugging on the Maumee
Great Lakes Towing’s Tug Mississippi is towing the Oakglen (unseen here) through the MLK bridge on October 31, 2020.
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Owens Corning
The International Headquarters for Owens Corning is a distinctive building on the Maumee River, stationed at the edge of downtown on the peninsula formed by Swan Creek.
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Christmas Tree Ship
One of the most enduring stories on the Great Lakes is that of the Rouse Simmons, the Christmas Tree Ship that sank on November 22, 1912 in Lake Michigan with a load of Christmas trees meant for the families of Chicago.
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The MAUMEE on the Maumee River
The Maumee, a self unloader, unloads its cargo just north of the Veterans Glass City Bridge.
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Freighter Passing Under the Anthony Wayne Bridge
The Anthony Wayne Bridge, known locally as the “High Level Bridge” was originally built in 1931 and got its nickname because it was the first bridge in Toledo that was high enough for lake freighters and other vessels to pass under without needing a drawbridge or a swing bridge.
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HERBERT C. JACKSON in Dry Dock, 2020
In late October of 2020 the M/V Herbert C.
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USCGC ALDER, September 2015
The US Coast Guard Cutter Alder visited Toledo in September of 2015, docking near the Maritime Academy of Toledo.
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Port of Toledo Railroad, 2010
Port of Toledo Railroad The relationship between rail and water transportation is as strong as ever.
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Toledo Harbor Lighthouse, 2018
In 1966 the Toledo Harbor Lighthouse was automated by the US Coast Guard, effectively ending the era of live-in lighthouse keepers.
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ST. CLAIR Fire in Layup
St. Clair Fire in Layup On February 16, 2019, while in winter layup in Toledo, the St.
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Tug Ohio Christening, June 21, 2019
On June 21, 2019, the Maumee River was the host to a unique dual christening ceremony.
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Downtown Toledo, 2020
Over the years, the Toledo skyline has had many changes, but also a few constants.
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The Andersons Grain Elevator, 2018
The Andersons Grain Elevator After the opening of the St.
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Toledo Terminal Lower Maumee River Swing Bridge, 2015
The Toledo Terminal Lower Maumee River Swing Bridge, photographed here from the US Brig Niagara was built between 1901 and 1903.
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Toledo Shipyard
The Algosea is in drydock at the Toledo Shipyard run by Ironhead Marine.
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MAMRY and Bridges
A saltie, the Mamry is towed through the Craig Street Bridge and under the Veterans Glass City Skyway Bridge in October 2018.
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USS NIAGARA
The Maumee river is still sometimes host to wooden ships with sails!
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New Cranes
After many years of working with “Big Lucas” and “Little Lucas”, the Port of Toledo installed two new cargo cranes at the Port Authority.
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Ironville
This aerial photo shows an area that used to be known as Ironville, a community on the east bank of the river that was surrounded by oil refineries and pig-iron furnaces.
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Kayak on the Maumee
The Port of Toledo still sees a lot of recreational use by individuals.
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BBC GEORGIA
The BBC Georgia is a general cargo ship saltie that was built in 2008.
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Unloading a Saltie
Cargo coming into the Port of Toledo has changed over time, but still includes a lot of raw materials.
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AMERICAN VALOR and MANISTEE
The Hocking Valley dock has long been used for layup for Great Lakes freighters.
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W&LE Maumee River Swing Bridge
The W&LE Maumee River Swing Bridge is open to let a ship pass through in December 2019.
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