McDougall’s Dream is Saturday
September 22, 2018!
Please join us for an Educational and Fun Event
Click Here for details about the Event
Alexander McDougall
This year marks the 14th Annual “McDougall’s Dream”. This all-day event celebrates local ship builder and entrepreneur Alexander McDougall.
In the late 1880's he came up with an innovative design for a steel-hulled vessel that would ride low in the water and shed the waves off its back like a whale, which gave the vessels their popular name of “whale-back.” McDougall’s American Steel Barge Company built the whale-backs in Superior, near the site of the current Frasier Shipyards. Only one whale-back ship remains – the Meteor – now land-berthed on Barker’s Island and open for tours.
McDougall’s Dream is this Saturday September 22 at the Bong Veterans Historical Center located at 305 Harbor View Parkway Superior WI.
McDougall’s Dream, Saturday, Sept. 22, is a program with daytime talks featuring local maritime topics. Dinner and a silent auction are in the evening. Proceeds help to restore and preserve the Meteor, the last remaining whaleback freighter, and the legacy of Captain Alexander McDougall. The event, 1-8 p.m., also includes music, entertainment and cash bar. At the SS Meteor Whaleback Museum on Barker’s Island, 300 Marina Dr., Superior. Reservations recommended. For reservations and more information, please call 715-394-5712.
The cost for the daytime talks and the evening dinner and keynote speaker is $50.
Morning Excursion: 9:00 - 11:00 am - $10.00
Riverside and the McDougall-Duluth Company:
A World War I Shipyard and Community Walking Tour
As World War I dragged on and the German submarine campaign continued to sink hundreds of ships, the United States
government started an emergency program to build ships. Captain Alexander McDougall formed the McDougall Duluth
Ship Building Company and established a residential neighborhood in Duluth for its workers, called Riverside. Today the
Riverside neighborhood continues to be a unique and vital community along the shores of the St. Louis River in West
Duluth. This tour starts at the water’s edge inside the shipyard and its remaining structures, and then heads into the neigh-
borhood. The housing and streets are among the most significant and well-preserved company towns in the Midwest.
This is a special opportunity for a guided tour through one of the most enduring sites of McDougall’s work in Duluth.
1:00 - 4:30 p.m. Daytime Talks-$15.00
At the Richard I Bong Veterans Historical Center
Book Signing
Roger Pellett, author of Whaleback Ships and the Am er ican
Steel Barge Company, will be signing his books from 1-3 p.m.
Learn about the company behind the designer of the whalebacks.
A Lifetime of Diving
Join us as Elmer Engman, diver and owner of Viking Diver, shares some
of his favorite experiences as a shipwreck diver over the past 50 years. He
will detail a few of his favorite shipwrecks, and talk about some of the
greatest adventures he’s been a part of during his career. He has dived all over the world and published the first
shipwreck guide on Lake Superior. Learn what has kept Elmer diving over the years!
Harbor Health
How do scientists know that a river is healthy? The St. Louis River and the Port of Duluth-Superior, has a long legacy of
abuse. Contamination and habitat loss have changed the river forever. But current efforts are cleaning up what history
has left behind. Learn from Hannah Ramage, monitoring coordinator at the Lake Superior National Estuarine Research
Institute, as she discusses the efforts to restore this river and the tools that scientists use to track and plan for its fut ure.
A Harbor Cruise Through History
Many of the historic photos you see of whalebacks were taken in the Twin Ports. Ever wondered what the industries be-
hind the boats were all about? Tim Pranke, avid shipwreck diver and GLSPS boat captain, will be talking about the his-
tory of the harbor, and the purpose behind some of those impressive buildings in the background.
Left on the Drawing Board: The Unbuilt Plans of Alexander McDougall
Though a builder of whalebacks and other types of ships, the American Steel Barge Company and Alexander
McDougall created a host of other designs that never reached a completed form. These included plans for
freighters and passenger ships for service both on fresh and salt water. Though his military designs were fanci-
ful, the civilian designs represented the ambitions of McDougall for both his own ideas and his long-term am-
bitions for his company during the 1890s. Hear Matthew Daley, of Grand Valley State University, as he shares
the history behind some of the unbuilt ships.
5:00-6:00 p.m. SS Meteor Tours - Explore the “nooks and crannies” of your favorite ship.
The nooks and crannies tour may be enjoyed by both daytime and evening program participants.
EVENING PROGRAM:
6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Evening Program - $45.00
At the Richard I Bong Veterans Historical Center, 305 Harborview Parkway, Superior, WI
Hearty buffet dinner catered by the Duluth Grill - Cash bar
Salad, focaccia, bison pot roast, mini-pasties, seasoned baby red potatoes,
maple glazed carrots, homemade cupcakes & coffee
Keynote presentation: By Dr. Matthew Daley
(His third Encore Presentation)!
Military Ships of the Great Lakes.
There are many military ships used and built here in the Twin Ports for the WWII war Effort.
Once again, Matthew will give a exuberant presentation about how these military ships are associated with the twin ports area and around the Great Lakes.
Thank you to our generous donors. New items will be listed on our website as they are received
For more details, take a look at our “Events Calendar” page. To make a reservation, call us at 715-394-5712.
- Superior Public Museums, Inc.
Operating three historical sites in the city of Superior, Wisconsin.
• Fairlawn Mansion, an authentically restored 1890 Victorian House Museum.
• SS Meteor Whaleback Ship Museum, the world's last remaining above-water Whaleback ship.
• Old Firehouse and Police Museum, the last of Superior's 19th Century Fire Halls.
Superior Public Museums
906 East 2nd Street
Superior, WI 54880
Call: 715-394-5712
Email: info@superiorpublicmuseums.org
SPM Business Office Hours:
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round
McDougall’s Dream is Saturday
September 24, 2016!
Please join us for an Educational and Fun Event
Alexander McDougall
This year marks the 12th annual “McDougall’s Dream”. This all-day event celebrates local ship builder and entrepreneur Alexander McDougall.
In the late 1880s he came up with an innovative design for a steel-hulled vessel that would ride low in the water and shed the waves off its back like a whale, which gave the vessels their popular name of “whaleback.” McDougall’s American Steel Barge Company built the whalebacks in Superior, near the site of the current Frasier Shipyards. Only one whaleback ship remains – the Meteor – now land-berthed on Barker’s Island and open for tours.
McDougall’s Dream is this Saturday September 24 at the Bong Veterans Historical Center located at 305 Harbor View Parkway Superior WI.
Afternoon presentations begin at 1 p.m. and go to 4:30 pm with topics such as, "What Happened to the Whale Back Barges"? - Elmer Engman; McDougall's Islay - David Coleman; "The Brownstone Industry at the Head of the Lakes" - Brian Klawater; "A Tremendous Opportunity" Alexander McDougall and the Collingwood Ship Building Company" - Mathew Daley
The evening events begin at 6 p.m. and go to 9:00 pm. Starting with a cash bar, dinner catered by Duluth Grill, and silent auction. Keynote speaker Niel Zoss "Historian" - The Wreck and Rescue of the Henry Cort
Proceeds from the event help to restore and preserve the S.S. Meteor and the legacy of Captain Alexander McDougall.
The cost is $15 for the daytime talks, $40 for the evening dinner and keynote speaker, or $50 for a combination ticket for daytime and evening events.
For more details, take a look at our “Events Calendar” page. To make a reservation, call us at 715-394-5712.
- Superior Public Museums, Inc.
Operating three historical sites in the city of Superior, Wisconsin.
• Fairlawn Mansion, an authentically restored 1890 Victorian House Museum.
• SS Meteor Whaleback Ship Museum, the world's last remaining above-water Whaleback ship.
• Old Firehouse and Police Museum, the last of Superior's 19th Century Fire Halls.
Superior Public Museums
906 East 2nd Street
Superior, WI 54880
Call: 715-394-5712
Email: info@superiorpublicmuseums.org
SPM Business Office Hours:
10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. year-round