Selected artifacts from the recent exhibition: Life and Leisure on Lake Erie

The Marquette and Bessemer

The Marquette and Bessemer No. 2 (I) was one of the largest of the Great Lakes car ferries; ships which between the 1890s and the 1950s hauled rail cars full of coal from the US to Ontario to heat homes, generate electricity and fuel locomotives. (More).

Joseph Hubbard
Snow rigged brigantine ship model, c. 1970

Snows were built for over 100 years from about 1750 through the Civil War and were well suited to costal military surveillance and light merchant service in restrictive waters. Snows (pronounced “snoo”) or (“snaw”), were two masted

sailing vessels often-referred to as “snow brigs”). (More).

The Luke Berry Medal

Medal, 1898
Presented to Luke Berry
Elgin County Museum
Gift of Mr. Marvin Berry, 2000

Inscription: “To Luke Berry, Port Stanley Volunteer Life Saving Crew, For his heroic services in effecting the rescue of the Captain and crew of the American schooner “Groton” November 11, 1897. Presented by the President of the United States.”

(more)