The Great Lakes Car Ferries [Hardcover]

George Woodman Hilton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 2003

There was a time in the United States when railroad tunnels and bridges were only dreams in the minds of designers, when the best way to move railroad cars across bodies of water was to load them on specialized ships designed specifically for this purpose.

With this utilitarian principle in mind, shipbuilders around the Great Lakes and elsewhere built an amazing variety of vessels to get the job done quickly, efficiently, and safely.

George W. Hilton's The Great Lakes Car Ferries tells the story of these boats and of the hardworking, heroic men who day after day, year after year, battled mechanical problems, ice, and bad weather to get the cars safely across the water.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George Woodman. Hilton was born in 1925 and earned his A.B. in Economics summa cum laude from Dartmouth College in 1946. He obtained his M.A. in 1950 and Ph.D. in 1956 from the University of Chicago with both degrees in Economics. He also attended The London School of Economics and Political Science, Department of Economic History, from 1953-1955, and again in 1959. He now holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Economics after teaching for many years at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Dr, Hilton's lifelong passion for writing has led him to create several definitive works in American transportation history, among them The Electric Interurban Railways in America (co-written with John F. Due), The Cable Car in America, The Illustrated History of Paddle Steamers, and American Narrow Gauge Railroads.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Montevallo Historical Press, Inc. (December 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0965862437
• ISBN-13: 978-0965862431
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,748,328 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive authority on Great Lakes Railroad ferries, October 5, 2007

By 

James Yaworsky (Windsor, Ontario) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Lakes Car Ferries (Hardcover)

This book is a slightly updated reprint of Hilton's 1962 masterpiece. It is the best single source of information on the operations of railway ferry operations literally on the surfaces of the Great Lakes, from the St. Lawrence up to the tip of Lake Superior. All ferry ships are described, with stats, and pictures are provided for many.

The text narrates the development of the rail car ferry operations region by region i.e. the Detroit River operations form a chapter, the Lake Michigan ferries are a chapter, the Mackinac ferries are a chapter, etc. Within each chapter, the story is told by railroad, chronologically i.e. in the "Detroit River" chapter, the operations of the CASO/MC/NYC are described separately from those of the Wabash, Pere Marquette, Grand Trunk, etc. This is probably the most logical way to handle things.

Of especial interest is the descriptions of the battles of the various ferry operations with ice conditions on the rivers (where current is a factor) and on the open lake.

Jim Yaworsky

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History of Greaz Lakes auto Ferries, January 9, 2007

By 

John M. Barton (Omaha, NE) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Lakes Car Ferries (Hardcover)

An excellent review of historical significance for those who have an interest in this subject, as I do. It probably is one of a kind, in that it covers most, if not all of the companies that operated ferries on the Great Lakes. I would highly recommend it to anyone who has desire to improve their knowledge in this area.

5.0 out of 5 stars The "Bible" of Great Lakes Car Ferry History, June 13, 2004

By 

Arthur P. Chavez (Milwaukee, WI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Lakes Car Ferries (Hardcover)

Over four decades ago Professor George W. Hilton introduced the uninitiated to the compelling story of the "railroads across the Inland Seas." Long considered the definitive work on the subject, even today, "The Great Lakes Car Ferries" is a springboard to conduct further, in-depth research on the history of these interesting ships.

A fascinating blend of railroad and marine technologies, the car ferries (which signify car as in "railroad car", not as in an "automobile" car) are all but a memory now. The exceptions are the still-operating former railroad car ferry-now-turned auto and passenger ferry S.S. Badger, and the museum ship City of Milwaukee, now open for tours in Manistee, Michigan.

The rich history of the car ferries and the important role they played in the development of the Great Lakes region is traced by Hilton in this newly released version of his 1962 classic. Montevallo Historical Press has completely reworked the book's original layout and has enhanced the appearance with glossy paper stock.

"The Great Lakes Car Ferries" has been updated with a brief addendum by Hilton describing the reasons for the decline of the car ferry operations. Also included is a bibliography of later works to assist researchers in finding more up to date information on the fleets originally covered in the 1962 edition.

This work, heavily illustrated with photos, maps and architectural drawings, is a must for anyone interested in maritime history or the transportation industry. Thanks to Montevallo Historical Press publisher Dean K. Fick, Professor Hilton's seminal work has been preserved for the next generation of car ferry enthusiasts.