Nautical History: September 14, 1915: The Onoko Sinks in Lake Superior

September 14, 1915: The Onoko Sinks in Lake Superior - Zenith City Online

On this day on Lake Superior in 1915 the freighter Onoko, a thirty-three year veteran of the great lakes, sank nine miles off Knife Island, about sixteen miles from Duluth. At roughly 10:30 a.m. the ship’s engineer noticed a leak below the engines. The water quickly drowned the engine fires and the captain recognized the […]

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Harbor History - The Fire Tug William A. McGonagle

By: Zenith City Online

Our Great Lakes Namesake Vessel for September is the fire tug William A. McGonagle, named for William Albert McGonagle, who came to Duluth in 1882 to work as an assistant engineer on the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad and twenty years later he became the president of the Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railway. Those two […] Read more of this post

The fire tug William A. McGonagle as seen in a lithographic postcard made between 1915 and 1925.
(Image: Zenith City Press)

Harbor History - September 4, 1913: Aerial Bridge Out of Commission

This Day in Duluth - Zenith City Online

On this day in Duluth in 1913, a cable that pulled the Duluth Aerial Transfer Bridge’s gondola car snapped, disabling the ferry bridge stranding the car—and passengers—above the North Pier of the Duluth Ship Canal. Passengers had to descend the car using a ladder; there were no teams or automobiles on the ferry car. Vehicles […] Read more of this post  

Duluth’s Aerial transfer Bridge, predecessor to the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge. (Image: Duluth Public Library.)