Leaving Detroit Behind Acrylic Print

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The Cuyahoga started life in 1943 under the name Mesabi and was built to carry taconite to the mills on the Great Lakes that were producing steel for the tanks, ships and other supplies needed to fight World War II.

The Great Lakes Steamship Company acquired her and renamed her the J. Burton Ayers. She changed hands, but retained her name until she entered long term layup in 1991.

In 1995 she was purchased by the Lower Lakes Towing Ltd. and renamed the Cuyahoga, which means 'winding river.' In 1999 her steam engine was replaced with a diesel.

As of 1/1/2014, she is the second oldest ship plying the Great Lakes. Her fleet mate, the Mississagi was launched a month previously. Until she went into dry dock for conversion to a tug/barge in late 2013, the Saint Mary's Challenger held the record for being the oldest ship operating on the Lakes having been launched on February 7, 1906.

The Cuyahoga has a length of 620 feet and a beam of 60 feet. This all...

I developed an interest in photography at a young age, often following my father around while he took pictures. From that I learned the basics and purchased my first camera while still in high school. I learned more through reading and trial and error. My first formal training came in 2013 when I took a basic photography class at a community college. During high school I became fascinated with the freighters that sailed on the lakes. The boats intrigued me and for a time I wanted to work on them. My career took me down a different path, but I never lost my interest in the boats. In 2011 I combined my two interests, loading my camera in my car and chasing the boats around the lakes. I hope to highlight the hardworking ships and...