The boat "Illinois". On June 18th,1855 the Illinois was the first boat to go through the Soo Locks and for many years was a ferquent visitor to Traverse City en route to chicago from Detroit and Buffalo.
The old Traverse City passenger dock and boats.
This view shows the shows the Northern Micigan Transit steamer Illinois and the Traverse Bay Line wood fired steamer Columbia. Note the difference in size, Illinois at 246 feet and the Columbia at…