Great Lakes Shipping Bibliography Page 1

Great Lakes Shipping

Downward Bound's

Great Lakes Shipping Bibliography

pg. 1

This site is a part of the USGenWeb project and our home port is the MIGenWeb project, although it will encompass "all" Great Lakes shipping areas.

Not sure where to start your research? Don't know what information is available? Try this list of books and magazine articles. This pathfinder does not include every book or magazine article ever written about Great Lakes shipping but this bibliography will get you started in researching the maritime history of the Great Lakes. New entries will added as books and magazines are published or "discovered!"

Atlases | Bibliographies | Biographies | Car ferries | Coast Guard
Company Histories | Disasters | Lighthouse keepers | Lighthouses
Magazines | Maritime History - General | Sailor Lists
Sailor & Ship tales | Ship Histories | Shipbuilding | Ships - Registers
Shipwrecks | Trivia | US Army Corps of Engineers

Atlases Page Index
Beneath the inland seas: Michigan's underwater archaeology heritage. by John R. Halsey. Lansing, MI: Bureau of History, 1990.

A diver's guide to Ontario's marine heritage: The early history, Great Lakes vessel types, wooden ship construction, Great Lakes sailing rigs, marine archaeology, site survey, in search of shipwrecks. Willowdale, Ont: Save Ontario Shipwrecks, 1993.

Map showing the shipwrecks of the Great Lakes. by Avery Color Studios. Au Train, MI: Avery Color Studios, 1991. Shipwreck chart of the Great Lakes. by Mariner Chart Shop. Tobermory Chart Shop, 1977.


Bibliographies Page Index
Great Lakes Maritime History: Bibliography and sources of information. by Charles E. Feltner and Jeri Baron Feltner. Dearborn, MI: Seajay Publications, 1982.
Shipping literature of the Great Lakes: A catalog of company publications 1852-1990. compiled by Le Roy Barnett. East Lansing, MI: Michigan State University Press, 1992. Includes index and bibliography.: Arranged alphabetically by company name, this book lists all the brochures and pamphlets produced by 230 shipping companies. Each entry gives a brief historical summary of the organization. If you are interested in looking through the materials, Barnett has thoughtfully included the library/archival location of the materials.

Biography Page Index
The autobiography of Captain Alexander McDougall. by Alexander McDougall. Cleveland: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1968.

"Autobiography of Capt. John G.Parker." by John G.Parker. Michigan Historical Collections Vol 30(1905): 2582-85.

By paddle-wheel, sail and steam: Abel Neff and his nephews Captains Ed, Will, and Sam 1850-1969. by Marcelia C. Neff Fisher. 1991 [located in Fox River Valley and Oshkosh, Wisconsin]

"Capt. Eber Ward." Michigan Historical Collections Vol 22(1893): 289-90. A gleam across the wave: The biography of Martin Nicholai Knudsen, lighthouse keeper on Lake Michigan. by Arthur and Evelyn Knudsen.

"History of The Great Lakes." by John Brandt Mansfield. Published by Beers 1899 Vol 1-2. Contains biographies of people involved with shipping on the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes stories: ashore after 50 years. by Ray I McGrath. Sault Ste Marie, MI: Border Enterprises, 1996.

Life on the Great Lakes: A wheelsman's story. by Fred W. Delton. edited by William Donohue Ellis. Detroit: Wayne State University, 1991. no index Beginning in 1916, Fred Dutton shares his life on the Great Lakes.

Master of the inland seas: the story of Captain Thomas Wilson and the fleet that bore his name. by Alexander C. Meakin. Vermilion, OH: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1988. [Wilson's Transit Line]

"Memoir of Capt. Samuel Ward. with a sketch of the early commerce of the Upper Lakes." by William L. Bancroft. Michigan Historical Collections Vol 21(1892): 336-67.

"Memoirs of William George Bruce." by William George Bruce (1856-1949). Wisconsin Magazine of History. Vol 18 (1934-1935): 56-65.

Norwegian sailors on the Great Lakes: A study in the history of American inland transportation. by Knut Gjerset. Northfield, MN: Norwegian-American Historical Society, 1928. index: This book contains brief biographical sketches - a paragraph or two long. A typical entry lists birth date and place, marriages and children.

Oren Lilly, Great Lakes Sailor.
"Reminiscences of my sailor days." by L W Burch. Wisconsin Magazine of History. Vol 18 (1934-1935): 3-19+.

The salvager; the life of Captain Tom Reid on the Great Lakes. by Mary Frances Doner. Minneapolis,MN: Ross and Haines, 1958.

The schooner La Petite: journal of Captain Oscar B. Smith. By Oscar B. Smith. Cleveland: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1970.

Six Fitzgerald brothers: Lake captains all. by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Cutler. Milwaukee, WI: Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, 1983. index, bibliography

The skipper of the Golden Age. by Clarence S. Metcalf. Vermilion, OH: Wakefield Museum of the Great Lakes Historical Society, 1960. [Charles Hubbard of the schooner Golden Age]

Sole survivor: A tale of shipwreck on the Great Lakes and one man's survival against overwhelming odds: Dennis Hale's own story. Lexington, MI: Lakeshore Charters & Marine Exploration, 1996. [Daniel J Morrell's shipwreck]

"A tugman's story : life and times of B.B. Inman." by Al Miller. American neptune Vol. 56 no. 3 (Summer 1996): 191-213.
Winds over Lake Huron: Chronicles in the life of a Great Lakes mariner. by Robert A Sinclair. Hicksville, NY: Exposition Press, 1977.


Car ferries Page Index
Autos on the water: a history of the Great Lakes automobile carriers. by Lawrence A. Brough. Columbus, OH: Chatham Communicators, 1987.

Early history of the Ann Arbor carferries. by Arthur C. and Lucy F. Frederickson. Frankfort, MI: Patriot Publishing Co., 1981. no index: Beginning their tale in 1892, the Fredericksons tell about the Ann Arbor Company's history. Focuses on Frankfort, MI (a town on Lake Michigan)
Great Lakes car ferries. by George Woodman Hilton. Berkeley, CA: Howell-North, 1962.: Beginning in the 1850s, Hilton discusses the history of carferries. The chapter titles are River Car Ferries, Mackinac Transportation Company, Ann Arbor Railroad, Pere Marquette District, Lake Michigan area, Lake Erie area, and Upper St Lawrence.

Pictorial history of the C & O train and auto ferries and Pere Marquette Line Steamers. by Arthur C. and Lucy F. Frederickson. Ludington, MI: Lakeside Printing Co., 1965. no index: Provides a short history as well as a listing of ships (complete with dimensions and construction information).

Coast Guard Page Index
Coast Guard expands, 1865-1915: new roles, new frontiers. by Irving H. King. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1996. index.: This history illustrates the flexibility and versatility of the Coast Guard between the years 1865 and 1915. The Coast Guard became military vessels in wartime and provided humanitarian service in peacetime - providing relief for the San Francisco Earthquake victims and assisting in the pioneering Alaska's wilderness. Uses many primary sources.

The Coast Guard under sail: the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, 1789-1865. by Irving H. King. London: Tri-Service, 1989. George Washington's Coast Guard: origins of the U. S. Revenue Cutter Service, 1789-1801. by Irving H. King. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1978. [sequel to The Coast Guard under sail.]

Guardians of the eight sea; a history of the US Coast Guard on the Great Lakes. by T. Michael O'Brien. Ninth Coast Guard District, 1976.: Beginning as U.S. Revenue Cutters, you follow the evolution of the Coast Guard up to 1976. This book is meant to "enlighten present day Americans to the vital services performed by the U.S. Coast Guard, but also, as a permanent record." Topics included are Lighthouse Service, Lifesaving Service, Steamboat Inspector Service, the consolidation years (1915-1946), and changing times (1946-1976).
Sentinels of the rocks: from the "Graveyard coast" to National Lakeshore. by Dennis L. Noble and T. Michael O’Brien. Marquette, MI: Northern Michigan University Press, 1979.: Noble and O'Brien illustrate the history of the Lighthouse Service and Life Saving Service on that portion of Lake Superior. Extras: an appendix lists lighthouse keepers and officers in charge at Au Sable, Grand Island - North Light, and Grand Island - Eastern Channel Stations.
Shipwreck of the Mesquite: Death of a Coast Guard cutter. by Frederick Stonehouse. Duluth, MN: Lake Superior Port Cities, Inc., 1991. no index: From World War II to 1989, the Mesquite, a Coast Guard buoy tender, sailed the Great Lakes. Stonehouse chronicles the life, the ship's grounding on Keewenaw Point shoals and the Mesquite's final resting place in Keystone Bay.
That others might live: The U.S. Life-saving Service, 1878-1915. By Dennis L. Noble. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1994.

The United States Coast Guard, 1790-1915; a definitive history. by Stephen Hadley Evans. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1951.

Usque ad mare; a history of the Canadian Coast Guard and marine services. by Thomas Appleton. Ottawa: Dept of Transport, 1969.
Company/Fleet Histories Page Index
The Bradley boats. by Gerald Micketti. Traverse City, MI: G. F. Micketti, 1995. [Bradley Transportation Company]

Canadian fleets along the seaway. by Skip Gillham. St Catherines, Ont: Stonehouse Publications, 1989.

The Cleveland & Buffalo Transit Co.: The great ship "Seeandbee" and the sister ships "City of Buffalo," "City of Erie," "State of Ohio." Cleveland, OH: C & B Line, 1915.

The first 50 years: a history of Upper Lakes Shipping, Ltd. by Wally Macht. Toronto: Virgo Press, 1981.
The five fleets of James A Paisley & fourteen fleets of James Playfair. by John Orville Greenwood. Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, 1997.

The Ford Fleet (1923-1989). by Clare J Snider and Michael W. R. Davis. Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, 1994. [Ford Motor Company's fleet]

History of the Slauson Fleet: Research notes. by Patricia G. Rolfe. Archival/manuscript, 1991. Materials located only at Bowling Green State University. [Slauson Fleet was based in Racine, WI.]

The Mack, Becker, Jeckins, England, Seither and Midland fleets. by John Orville Greenwood. Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, 1991.

Master of the inland seas: The story of Captain Thomas Wilson and the fleet that bore his name. by Alexander C. Meakin. Vermilion, OH: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1988. [Wilson's Transit Line]

Mitchell Steamship Company: A lost fleet, Great Lakes saga, 1800's - 1900's. by Mary Louise Schaefer. Avon Lake, OH: M L Schaefer, 1985.

The Nine fleets of the Hutchinson family, Central Paper, Lake Ports Shipping & Navigation, Petoskey Transportation, and the two McLouth fleets. by John Orville Greenwood. Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, 1998.

Pictorial history of the C & O train and auto ferries and Pere Marquette Line steamers. by Arthur C. & Lucy F. Frederickson. Ludington, MI: Lakeside Publishing Co., 1965.

Pulp & Paper fleet: A history of the Quebec and Ontario Transportation Company. by Al Sykes. St Catherines, Ont: Stonehouse Publications, 1988.

Red stacks over the horizon; story of the Goodrich Steamship Line. by James L. Elliott. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1967.
The Reiss, Peavey, Gartland, Farrar, Western, Bassett, and Footie fleets. by John Orville Greenwood. Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, 1995.

Roen Steamship Company: The way it was, 1909-1976. by John H Purves. Steurgeon Bay, WI, 1983.

The ships of the Paterson Fleet. by Gene Onchulenko. St Catherines, Ont.: Riverbank Traders, 1996. [N M Paterson & Sons Company]

The ships of the Upper Lakes Shipping Group. by Garnet Wilcox. St. Catharines, Ont. : Riverbank Traders, 1994.

The story of the Great Lakes Towing Co. by Alexander C. Meakin. Vermilion, OH: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1984.

The United, Thompson, Forest City, Nicholson-Universal, Gotham, Northwest, Johnson, Browning and McCarthy. by John Orville Greenwood. Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, Westcott: the first hundred years. by Gary L. Bailey. Bowling Green, OH: Center for Archival Collections, Bowling Green State University, 1979. [J W Westcott Co in Detroit, MI]


Disasters Page Index
Explosion of the Goliah

Freshwater fury: Yarns and reminiscenses of the greatest storm in inland navigation. by Frank Barcus. Detroit: Wayne State University, 1986. index & glossary.: Curious about the devastating November 1913 storm? Using survivor's accounts and newspaper articles, Barcus chronicles the ferocious storm - 12 ships and 251 hands were lost. Extras: an appendix includes stats of vessels totally destroyed.

"The gales of November 1913." by Saralee R. Howard-Filler, Micke Smith, Charles Orser. Michigan History Nov/Dec 1980: 64-66.

Hurricane warning; notable storms involving sailing ships on our sea coasts and Great Lakes. by Frank Meier. New York: E P Dutton, 1947.

Marine disasters on the western lakes, during the navigation of 1869 with the loss of life and property : vessels bought and sold: new vessels and their tonnage : also, those which have passed out of existence : with the names of vessels laid up at various lake ports. Detroit, Mich. : W.E. Tunis, 1870.

Marine Disasters in the western lakes during the navigation of 1871: with the loss of life, property vessels bought and sold, new vessels and their tonnage: also, those which have passed out existence: with a sketch of early marine history, and vessels laid up at various ports. Detroit: Free Press Books and Job Print Establishment, 1872.: Capt. John Hall is mentioned.
Went missing, II. by Frederick Stonehouse. AuTrain, MI: Avery Color Studios, 1984. no index.: In this expanded edition of Went Missing, Stonehouse includes all Great Lakes "sinking ship" mysteries. To be included the ship must have all hands lost and the actual sinking was not witnessed.

Lighthouse Keepers Page Index
"A fragile woman of 80 years is Uncle Sam's oldest and most reliable lighthouse keeper." Chicago Tribune October 2, 1904. [Harriet Colfax]

Great Lakes light keepers. [a list extracted from the NARA records]

The Life Savers in the Great Lakes: Incidents and experiences among the Life Savers in Lake Huron and Lake Superior (known as District 11). by W. H. Law. Hessel, MI: W. Law, Winn & Hammond, 1902. "Lighthouse journals." Copper Country Tales by Roy W. Drier. Calumet, MI: The author, 1967. Vol 1:197-205.: includes excepts from the following Light Stations: Menagerie Island, Siskowit Bay, Isle Royale - Willilam Stevens, keeper; Portage River Lighthouse (Jacobsville) - J B Crebassa, keeper; Sand Point Lighthouse - J B Crebassa, keeper; Portage River Range - Charles Hendrickson, keeper; Copper Harbor Rage Light Station - William Tresize & William Corgan.

Lighthouse keeper's journal, for Port Austin, MI July 1, 1909 - Feb 21, 1917. Archival manuscript housed at Clarke Historical Library - Central Michigan University. CANNOT BE INTERLOANED: Names located in file: Otto Bufe (Port Austin Reef Lighthouse Keeper), L J McDonald (First assistant), William Druggan (second assistant), C B Morgan Commissioner(U S Naval Inspector).

Living at a lighthouse: Oral histories from the Great Lakes. edited by LuAnne Gaykowski Kozma. Allen Park, MI: Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association, 1987. lighthouse index: The list of the people interviewed include Leland L. "Bud" Richards, James E & George F. Sheridan, Dorothea Dodge, Loretta Patterson, Ralph Warner, Marie Hering, Joseph St. Andre, Donald L Nelson, Maxwell Gertz, and James A Goudreau.
Women of the lights. by Candace Fleeming. Illustrator, James Watling. Morton Gorve, IL: A. Whitman, 1996. [Children's book]: Harriet Colfax (Indiana City, MI) is the only female Great Lakes lighthouse keeper in this book.

Women who kept the lights: An illustrated history of female lighthouse keepers. by Mary Louise Clifford. Williamsburg, VA: Cypress Communications, 1993.: Four Great Lakes women have chapters in this book: Harriet Colfax (IN), Mary Ryan (IN), Mary Terry (MI), and Elizabeth Williams (MI). Mrs. Julia Toby Brown(MI) and Kate Maryn (MI) each received a paragraph. Extras: appendix includes a comprehensive list of female lighthouse keepers arranged by state.
Lighthouses Page Index
America's lighthouses; their illustrated history since 1716.by Frances Ross Holland. Brattleboro, VT: S. Greene Press, 1972. index: One chapter has a very abbreviated history of the Great Lakes' and Lake Champlain's lighthouses. Extras: half-page map showing lighthouses' locations.
Eastern Great Lakes lighthouses: Ontario, Erie, and Huron. By Bruce Roberts. Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1996.

Great Lakes lighthouse tales. by Frederick Stonehouse. Gwinn, MI: Avery Color Studios, 1998. no index

" Indiana's only lighthouse." by Patricia Harris. The Keeper's Log. Summer 1987. A light on the seaway. by Ethel Williamson. St Catherines, Ont: C E Williamson, 1973.

Lighthouse: Living in a Great Lakes lighthouse, 1910 to 1940. by Megan O'Hara. Mankato, MN: Blue Earth Books, 1998.[children's book]: Only one lighthouse in the Great Lakes is mentioned - Split Rock Lighthouse on Lake Superior.
The lighthouse that wanted to stay lit. by Ernest Henry Wakefield. Evanston, IL: Honors Press, 1992.

Lighthouses of America.by Mina Lewiston. Criterion Books, 1964: In the only chapter discussing the Great Lakes, three lighthouses are included - Spectacle Reef light (Lake Huron near Bois Blanc Island), Stannard Rock Lighthouse (23 miles southeast of Manitou Island - Lake Superior), and Split Rock Lighthouse (Lake Superior, MN).

Northern lights: Lighthouses of the upper Great Lakes. by Charles K. Hyde. Lansing, MI: Two Peninsula Press, 1986. index: The first couple chapters provide the reader with a general lighthouse and keeper history. Individual lighthouse histories (complete with a photograph and a paragraph or two of information) complete the book.

The Presqu'ile Lighthouse: Its history and its keepers. by Myron McShane. Brighton, Ont: Friends of Presqu'ile Park in cooperation with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1994.

Traveler's guide to 116 Michigan lighthouses. text, Laurie Penrose; maps, Bill Penrose; black and white photos, Ruth Penrose; color photos, Bill J. Penrose. Davison, MI: Friede Publications, 1992. index: Each lighthouse receives a half page to a one paper histories. If the lighthouse is open to public, a map is included. Extras: 4 lists - still active, has a museum on grounds, a tower you can climb, and houses you can visit.
Traveler's guide to 100 eastern Great Lakes. Text, Laurie Penrose; maps, Bill Penrose; black and white photos, Ruth Penrose; color photos, Bill J. Penrose. Davison, MI: Friede Publications, 1994. index.: In the same format as Traveler's guide to 116 Michigan lighthouses, this book focuses on the lighthouses found from the St Clair River to St Lawrence Seaway. If the lighthouse is open to public, a map is included. Extras: 4 lists - still active, has a museum on grounds, a tower you can climb, and houses you can visit. Brief histories, If open to public map included to locate house.

Turtle Island Lighthouse: The darkened light. By B. Ellen Garnder. Inkwell Publishing Services, 1997. Western Great Lakes lighthouses: Michigan and Superior. By Bruce Roberts. Old Saybrook, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1996.

Magazines Page Index
Chadburn. Vermilion, OH: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1980 -
Detroit Marine Historian. Detroit, MI: Marine Historical Society of Detroit, 1947 - Great Lakes Shipwreck Quarterly. Sault Ste Marie, MI: Great Lakes Shipwreck Society, 1983- Inland Seas. Vermilion, OH: Great Lakes Historical Society, 1948 -
Keeper's log. San Francisco,CA: United States Lighthouse Society, 1984-

Mining Gazette. [Houghton County,MI] Great Lakes shipping news

Soundings. Milwaukee, Wis. : Wisconsin Marine Historical Society, 1959- .
Telescope. Detroit, MI: Great Lakes Maritime Institute, 1952 -


Maritime History - General Page Index

Cargo carriers of the Great Lakes : The saga of the Great Lakes fleet--North America's fresh water merchant marine. by Jacques LesStrang. Boyne City, Mich. : Harbor House, 1985.

Early American steamers. by Erik Heyl. Buffalo, NY: E. Heyl, 1953.

Freighter of fortune. by Norman Beasley. New York: Harper, 1930.: Beginning this history in 1679, Basley includes plenty of names and personal narratives.

"A fully accredited ocean:" Essays on the Great Lakes. edited By Victoria Brehm. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press, 1997. ship name index: This collection of scholarly essays illustrate technological and social changes in the life, shipping,and economy of the lakes. The index only contains ships but each essay id well-documented.

Great Lakes. by Harlan Henthorne Hatcher. New York: Oxford University Press, 1944.

Great Lakes, great boats: Being a short history of the men and the boats ; & also of the lakes they sailed from earliest times to the present day. [Lansing, Mich.]: Michigan Dept. of Conservation, 1969?.

The Great Lakes the vessels that plough them: Their owners, their sailors and their cargo. Together with a brief history of our inland seas. by James Oliver Curwood. New York: G P Putnam's Sons, 1909. index coverage is spotty - some names and ships included: Written in first person prose, Curwood discusses the general history of Great Lakes shipping, including ore carriers and passenger ships.
Great Lakes' saga; the influence of one family on the development of Canada shipping on the Great Lakes, 1816-1931. by Anna Young. Owen Sound [Ont.], Toronto: Richardson, Bond & Wright, 1965. bibliography

Great stories of the Great Lakes. by Dwight Boyer. New York: Dodd, 1966. index

History of the Great Lakes. Chicago, J H Beers & Co., 1899.

An illustrated history of the state of Wisconsin. by Charles R. Tuttle. Boston, MA: B B Russell, 1875. available full text online
Iron fleet: The Great Lakes in World War II. by George J. Joachim. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University, 1994. index.: This scholarly work explores the Great Lakes' role in WWII by presenting a "study of how those companies working in the water-related industries of the Great Lakes were able to meet the enormous demands placed upon them at a time when failure would have had disastrous consequences for the nation's war effort."

Lake carriers: The saga of the Great Lakes fleet, North America's fresh water merchant marine. by Jacques LesStrang. Seattle: Superior Pub. Co., 1977.

Lakers of World War I: The story of the contribution of the Great Lakes shipyards to the defense effort of our country in the first World War. by Edward J. Dowling. Detroit, MI: University of Detroit Press, 1967.

Long ships passing: The story of the Great Lakes. by Walter Havighurst. NY: Macmillan, 1975. index

"Naval History of the Ojibwa of Lake Superior." by D. Peter MacLeod. American Neptune Vol 55 no. 4 (1995): 301+.

Our inland seas: Their shipping and commerce for three centuries. by James Mills. Chicago: A C McClug & Co., 1910.

Pictorial marine history: A collection of rare old and present-day pictures of marine life on the Great Lakes. Sturgeon Bay, Wis. : Elmer C. Christensen, 1926.
Railway steamships of Ontario. By Dana William Ashdown. Erin, Ont: Boston Mills Press, 1988.

Reflections: Stories of the Great Lakes. by Paul G. Wiening. St Catherines, Ontario: Stonehouse Productions, 1990. no index: Wiening has brought together a collection of stories which present a diversified look at ship's history and locales.
Sailing on the Great Lakes and rivers of America; embracing a description of Lakes Erie, Huron,Michigan & Superior, and Rivers St.Mary, St. Clair, Detroit, Niagara & St. Lawrence . . . by J. Distrnell. Philadelphia: J. Distrnell, 1874. available full text online

Shingle shavers and berry pickers. by Oliver Raymond. Port Sanilac, MI: Raymond, 1976.

Ships and memories: Merchant seafarers in Canada's age of steam. by Eric W. Sager. Vancouver: UBC Press, 1993. index, bibliography.

Ships and Men of the Great Lakes. by Dwight Boyer. NY: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1977.

Ships of the Great Lakes: 300 years of navigation. by James P. Barry. Holt, Mich. : Thunder Bay Press, 1996

Ships, seafaring, and society: Essays in maritime history. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University Press, 1987.

"Sketch of the marine of Lake Erie previous to the year 1829." by Francis A Dewey. Michigan Historical Collections Vol 4(1881): 79-81.

Steamboats and sailors of the Great Lakes. by Mark Thompson. Detroit, MI: Wayne State University, 1991. index: Touted as an introduction of shipping industry, Thompson discusses the evolution of bulk freighters, crews, ports, and cargoes.
Story of the Great Lakes. by Edward Channing. NY: Macmillan, 1909. index

There are the Great Lakes. by Phillip Ault. New York: Dodd, Mead, 1972.

"Watery treasures: Maritime and naval resources." by Loretto D. Szucs. An article published in Ancestry.com's Daily News.

Wooden ships and iron men : the story of the square-rigged merchant marine of British North America, the ships, their builders and owners and the men who sailed them. by Frederick William Wallace. United Kingdom: Hodder and Stoughton, 1924.