1924 Henry Ford II 1994
Steel Great Lakes bulk freighter
Built at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co., Hull 788
Launched March 1, 1924
611’ LOA, 590’ LBP, 62’ beam, 32’ depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, hatches @ 24’, oil-fired diesel engine, 3500 bhp
With Benson Ford had the first diesel engines on major Great Lakes vessels
Enrolled at
597.5 x 62.2 x 27.8, 8877 GT, 7074 NT US 223980 to:
Ford Motor Co., Detroit MI (home port Detroit MI)
Entered service Aug 1924
Remeasured 1941 to 8898 GT, 6859 NT
Cargo hold and side tanks repaired 1953
Remeasured to 8692 GT, 6654 NT
Remeasured 1960 to 8708 GT, 5924 NT
Converted 1974 to self-unloader at Lorain OH by American Ship Building Co.
Remeasured to 8798 GT, 5934 NT
Retired from active service at end of 1981 season.. Laid up at Dearborn MI and did not operate again.
Fleet sold 1982 to Rouge Steel Co., Detroit MI
Fleet sold 1988 to Lakes Shipping Co., Cleveland OH, Interlake Steamship Co., Mgr. and vessel renamed Samuel Mather (6)
Towed to Toledo OH June 1989
Sold for scrap 1994 to International Marine Salvage. Towed to Port Maitland ON and scrapped.
IMO 5148015
2402
I believe the diesel engine was made in Germany. I’d like to know more about it.
It was made by Sun Shipbuilding in Philadelphia, under license from Doxford of England.
I had the opportunity to tour the vessel in Toledo in order to establish the Lead content in the ships many years of paint restoration. The RF gun went off the charts which was no real surprise since commercial marine industry paint solids was almost all lead but some colors solids added.
She was beautiful inside, the engine room and below decks rooms and quarters were spotless. Just like it sailed the previous day. The bridge was awesome along with the helm and the telegraph. Immediately aft of the bridge was a grand staircase that lead up to the Ford’s private staterooms, day solon , dinning, offices and chefs galley.
Often the family would ride along up the the upper peninsula and back as a vacation cruise, or hope off in Mackinaw and visit other business moguls in Petoskey or Harbor Springs , then take their private train back home to Dearborn.
Behind the staircase still on the bridge level, was the Captains quarters, along with the first mates’ then crew galley, ships doctors, radio operator and his quarters.
Having grown up in Dearborn, Mi in the 50’s, seeing this great part of history made me both proud and said at the same time. What a wonderful way of life the auto giants had at the turn of the century. The Dodge brothers had matching mansions on the Detroit river, Ford had his estate and room mate Thomas Edison and on and on.
Today you can tour a Great Lakes Freighter moored in Toledo at their maritime museum. And every November Detroit’s maritime museum holds a ceremony honoring the Edmond Fitzgerald.
My grandfather sailed on this ship for many years his name was (Grizz) John Fruilk. He sailed on this ship until its last days of on water. He was an Oiler down in the engine room. Then he was transferred to Warehouse ship during Desert Storm and came home and passed away from cancer due to asbestos. My grandmother used to chase the ship from port to port just where we can see our grandfather was a very good man I have several pictures of this ship I remember being up there on the Detroit River on the mail boat and watching my grandfather climb up and down the side of the ship to come home.
73merleulch@gmail.com
My Uncle, Oscar Johnson was Captain of the Henry Ford II, he later was promoted to Director of Transportation for Ford Motor Co. He was a proud man with a command style personality I am told. Born in Norway, his family produced a Judge, who also held a Captains License, a Professional Boxer, who I am named for, Charles W. Johnson who later became a Security Man for Ford Motor Co. during the union organizing years at Ford. Oscar Johnson was killed in an automobile in West Branch Michigan, where I know live. He was a family man who had three son’s and was married to Winafred Johnson who grew up in Canada. They resided on Grosse Ile, Michigan.
Hello,
We are cousins! My great grandfather was John Johnson. He was Oscar’s brother and lived on Long Island. He had 3 children. John Alfred(my grandfather), John Gunnar and a daughter named Helen.
Would love to connect and see if there is anything more you could share about the family? I understand there was a third brother that went to Alaska seeking Gold and was buried in an avalanche.
I can be reached at RyanJ1975@aol.com
Why in the world wasn’t the engine of the Henry or The Benson put into the HF museum. Such a shame a piece of history such as this wasn’t saved
In the 1990’s there was a job offer for a engineer on one of the Ford ships (I don’t remember the name). I remember the ship didn’t sail in the winter, it was dry docked and rebuilt every year. The thing that impressed me the most was in the engine room all the original tools used on the ship were made by Ford (one of a kind). There was a tool board with the tools hanging up on it, the shape of the tool was painted on the board where the tool was put up on. All the places on the board had the original tool in its rightful place. None were missing. I save the ad for the job but it’s was lost in the years of travel. Imagine a tool board with one of a kind tools with no missing tools after more that 70 years. The Great Lake area is famous for engineering this is amazing. Maybe they had new ones built if they dropped one, I don’t know but wow.