By James Heinz
Readers of this blog are familiar with the saga of Little Toot. During the pandemic, Executive Director Suzette Lopez heard about an elementary school that had launched a small model boat into Lake Superior. She asked if WMHS would consider such a project.
This school project was inspired by Holling C. Holling’s 1941 book, Paddle-to-the-Sea, a Caldecott Honor Book in 1942. The students learned about currents and the connection between the Great Lakes and the ocean. In 1966, an Oscar-nominated twenty-eight minute film based on this story was directed by Bill Mason for the National Film Board of Canada. The film is available on You Tube.
Suzette’s provocative question led WMHS leaders to start the Little Toot project as a fun undertaking that might brighten up members’ spirits. Board Member and Promotions Committee Co-chair Joe Grygny eagerly volunteered to construct and decorate three model boats, LITTLE TOOT #1, LITTLE TOOT #2, and LITTLE TOOT #3. LITTLE TOOT #3 will be enshrined in Milwaukee Public Library’s Central Library, perhaps in the Children’s Room.
On June 30, 2021, under a clear sky and with a calm sea, a temperature near 70 and with less than a 10 mph wind from the south, two motor boats provided by the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center for the launch of LITTLE TOOT #1 moved slowly away from the dock
On March 19, 2023 LITTLE TOOT #1 was found on the beach at Warnimont Park in Cudahy by self-described environmental beachcomber Joel Breuning and his dog Marlon (“as in Brando”). They were looking for “sea glass”.
Wikipedia tells us “Sea glass is physically and chemically weathered glass found on beaches along bodies of water. These weathering processes produce natural frosted glass. Sea glass is used for decoration, most commonly in jewelry. Sea glass takes 20–40 years, and sometimes as much as 100–200 years, to acquire its characteristic texture and shape.” Joel was rewarded with a lunch and a WMHS membership by President Carl Eisenberg.
In the continuing saga of LITTLE TOOT #1, it would turn out to be deja vu all over again.
After winter layup in the Grygny shipyard, on July 21, 2023, another calm and windless day, LITTLE TOOT #1 was once again launched from a boat graciously donated by the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center. Launch point was a couple of miles east of the Milwaukee breakwater.
The first time it took LITTLE TOOT #1 about 21 months to go about 7 miles to the south. This time it would take the boat a much shorter period of time to come ashore.
LITTLE TOOT #1 was found on the beach at Klode Park the next day, July 22, 2023. A man left a message for Suzette to report finding it but did not respond to Carl’s call.
On July 23, 2023, it was found again at Klode Park by David Ostmann, his school teacher wife Jennifer, and their six year old son Jack. They were walking along the beach looking for something.
Sea glass.
Like Joel, Dave’s first instinct was to leave LITTLE TOOT #1 alone. However, using the contact information printed on the boat, Dave contacted Carl Eisenberg to ask if we wanted it back, Carl said that indeed we did want out little wanderer back. However, there was a snag that delayed the return of LITTLE TOOT #1…
Six year old Jack had found a new favorite bath toy.
Eventually Jack would tire of his toy, and on November 12, 2023, David and his nine year old daughter Kate met Carl and I at the famous Pandl’s restaurant in Whitefish Bay for lunch.
Pandl’s is an appropriate place to meet for a maritime story. It was once part of the Pabst Brewery’s Whitefish Bay Resort. Visitors were transported to the resort from downtown Milwaukee via steam boat. One of those boats the BLOOMER GIRL, later sailing as the SILVER SPRAY, ran aground off Chicago in 1914. Her boiler still sticks out the water a short distance from the shore.
Jack and his mom had to attend a birthday party and were not available. But it was Kate who, though not present at the time, was really responsible for the discovery. At age nine, she already has her life planned out: she wants to be a geologist and own a parrot. And as a budding earth scientist, she already is collecting samples of…
Sea glass.
Dave has a master’s degree in international finance. He has the most Milwaukeeish job you can imagine: he works for Harley Davidson. He and his family have “lived everywhere in this country”, including on both coasts, where they developed the family hobby of collecting sea glass. He and his family were rewarded with a lunch and a WMHS membership.
In interviewing Dave, I was surprised that his children had time to find anything. Jack plays soccer, lacrosse, and baseball. Kate plays soccer, lacrosse, the piano, and is studying jazz lyrical dance. Also, she has a turtle she named Mister Little Scientist. Jack named his turtle Michael Jordan.
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Photo at top of page: Jack Ostmann with LITTLE TOOT #1
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James Heinz is the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society’s acquisitions director. He became interested in maritime history as a kid watching Jacques Cousteau’s adventures on TV. He was a Great Lakes wreck diver until three episodes of the bends forced him to retire from diving. He was a University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee police officer for thirty years. He regularly flies either a Cessna 152 or 172.
