Tugs on the Maumee River – 1914
Tugs on the Maumee River – 1914
The image above shows four tug boats lined up, Columbia, A.W. Colton, Ohio, and J.R. Sprankle on the Maumee just above the construction of the Cherry Street Bridge in 1914. At that time, the Sprankle and the Ohio were owned by the Great Lakes Towing Company.
Harbor Tug Boats were the unsung heroes of the Great Lakes, assisting boats in and out of the river, helping them to dock, and assisting disabled ships. One of the oldest, continuing operating vessel companies on the Great Lakes is Great Lakes Towing, still in business and a leader on the lakes, more than 100 years later.
Note: This seems to be popular place to tie up groups of tug boats, as seen in this previous picture from this exhibit.
Note 2: The Ohio seen in this image is the first of three different tugs with that name owned by Great Lakes Towing. The second vessel of that name is now on display at the National Museum of the Great Lakes.
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