On this day September 6, 1952, the Christy Corp. of Sturgeon Bay, Wis., launched the car ferry BADGER and christened her sister ship the SPARTAN as over 1,000 excited guests watched. Presiding over the christening was Mrs. Walter J. Kohler, Jr., wife of Wisconsin’s governor.
Photo at top of page: Christening of the SPARTAN, September 6, 1952
BADGER in 1962
The streamlined ferries were built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway and measured 410 feet in length with a 60 foot beam and cost $5,000,000 each. They were designed for year-round operation and could carry 32 railroad freight cars or 150 automobiles. Passengers could roam a spacious lounge, the promenade deck, be seated in the dining room or choose one of the 44 outside or 16 inside staterooms – all of which were air-conditioned.
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway decided to name their car ferries after the athletic teams of the Michigan State University, the Spartans, and the University of Wisconsin, the Badgers. Delegations from both colleges were on hand at the christening, roaring their traditional school cheers.
The car ferry routes of the C&O operated from Ludington, Michigan, to railroad connections at three points on the western shore of Lake Michigan, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, and Milwaukee, all in Wisconsin. By using this route, freight moving between the East and the Northwest and Pacific Coast could by-pass the congested Chicago switching area.
SPARTAN in 2004. Photo by Chuck Sterba.
By the 1970s the C&O Railway decided car ferries were no longer profitable to operate. The SPARTAN laid up on September 10, 1979, at Ludington and basically over the years has supplied parts for her sister ship the BADGER.
BADGER in Milwaukee before taking its Love Cruise, September 6, 1984.
The BADGER is still sailing today. The price for a one way ticket ranges from $45 for children and for adults $89 during the summer season and $78 in the spring and fall. This price does not include your vehicle. The crossing takes about 4 hours and covers 60 miles of water. Her average speed is 18 miles per hour or 15.6 knots. She has a crew of 50-60 and can carry 600 passengers, 180 automobiles, tour buses, RVs, motorcycles and trucks. She makes about 450 crossings per season. For more information check out their website at: https://www.ssbadger.com/
Late in December 2020, the SPARTAN, the BADGER and the tug/barge UNDAUNTED/PERE MARQUETTE 41 were bought by Interlake Steamship Company.
Suzette Lopez
PHOTO CREDIT: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
