Most of what’s left from the World War II era is found in the history books or in the memories of senior soldiers and their families. In October, the Mississagi – built as the eighth of 16 Maritimers for the U.S. Maritime Commission – was towed from layup in Sarnia to a scrapyard in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Purvis Marine is dismantling.

While under tow as a dead ship up the St. Clair River and Lake Huron, boatwatchers came out in force. They captured photos and video as part of their farewell to a long-time favorite.

“She was a tough old girl and had some good men to take care of her through the years,” says A. Spiceronni after watching a video on W. Wes Oleszewski’s YouTube channel. “She’ll be missed.”

In this single forum, an online discussion continues through 227 comments on the Mississagi’s 77-year history, the beauty of her forward wheel-house and what “the line of no return means.”

Valuable Service

Mississagi was christened George A. Sloan in 1943, in honor of a U.S. Steel executive. At 620 feet, she began her service as a bulker hauling iron ore from Lake Superior ports to steel mills in the lower Great Lakes. She was fitted with a self-unloading boom in 1965-66 at Fraser Shipyard and repowered from steam to diesel in 1984-85.

In 2001, Sloan became Mississagi, named after the Mississagi Strait in northern Lake Huron. She also became Canadian-flagged.

Under the new ownership of Lower Lakes Towing, part of the Great Lakes Fleet, she departed Sarnia light enroute to Bruce Mines, where she loaded stone and headed to Toledo, Ohio, for delivery. Over the years, she carried iron ore, coal, salt, stone, sand and other aggregates in and out of large and small ports.

During her most recent layup, Mississagi was used for parts to benefit sister ships. Her future became obvious to those who follow the ships. When she was connected to a yellow tow line Oct. 8, it was a sign that her sail had passed, and she was under tow for scrap – still making a substantial contribution of her own through the value of her steel.