SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Maritime Museum is holding its final lecture of its 2022-2023 Steamship Lecture Series this week.

“We, just last summer, opened our exhibit ‘Full Steam Ahead: The Golden Age of Great Lakes Passenger Steamships’ and this is going to be a perfect lecture to go out with a bang,” Claire Herhold, community outreach coordinator, said.

On Wednesday, the museum is hosting Bob Myers from the Historical Society of Michigan. He will discuss the shipping route that moved passengers and freight between Chicago, South Haven and St. Joseph.

A photo postcard from the Michigan Maritime Museum’s collection depicts the passenger steamship “City of South Haven” departing South Haven for Chicago in 1907. (Courtesy of the Michigan Maritime Museum)

“Unfortunately, the only passenger steamship in service on the Great Lakes today is The Badger (out of Ludington), but historically, that was a major steamship route between our southwest Michigan communities and Chicago,” Herhold said.

She explained that the routes were also used frequently to bring fruit to the Windy City.

The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. and runs for about an hour. It is free for members and $10 for non-members.

“Everyone is welcome to come but generally (it’s geared towards) high schoolers and adults,” Herhold said.

The next lecture series will begin in September to October and run through April. Herhold said it will focus on “Working Waterfronts” and highlight the work and industry that is part of the maritime history in Michigan. For more information on the museum’s lecture series, visit the museum’s website.