Ever since the Great Lakes were discovered by the Jesuits, Friars, and the Frenchmen, ice has played a large part in the history of the five Great Lakes and her inlets, islands, rivers, peninsulas and their harbors. If it were not for ice buildup and ice plugging the water ways, the ships that ply the Lakes would sail the whole year 'round.

The commercial fleets try hard to stay on schedule and maintain a program which allows them the maximum of profit during the annual navigation of each year. Sometimes Mother Nature upsets the plan of men and mice, when the winter winds come out of the North furious, fast and with sub-zero temperatures causing an unexpected pile up of ice and more packed in rivers, harbors and entrances to and from the harbors.

Lake Superior usually is the first to receive freeze-ups with northwesterly winds causing extreme cold and quick freeze-ups sometimes before they are expected. Usually the upper lakes shipping season lasts from ice out in the spring until winter freeze-up of the St. Mary's River, being the route from Lake Huron into Michigan and Lake Superior.

Many times the lakes have been closed from mid-November until into May before the ice broke up and movement of the floe began. Ship owners, grain merchants, cargo, coal and ore companies set their clock with the opening and closing of the season. Superior is the key to the upper lake for the north and westerly winter winds move the ice easterly into the entrance of the St. Mary's River, plugging it closed with hard-packed ice. Before the advent of ice breakers by the U.S. Coast Guard, a ship stop and freeze in was there for the spring break up. The great Minnesota harbors up in the northern portion part of the lake usually get early ice because of their location and exposure to the Arctic and Canadian winds.

These two harbors at Fort William and Port Arthur are in the heart of the great grain baskets of Canada and a large amount of grain goes downstream to the major ovens of the metropolitan areas of large cities with great populations to feed - thus they are noted as very important to the economy. In the beginning of shipping, there was only sail and paddle to move vessels, then came side-wheelers, steam-powered and finally oil fed - steel freighters with multi horse-powered engines of steam or diesel.

Back in the late 1800s and into the 1900s, the Coast Guard became very important and developed into being of large benefit to shipping, moving in ice areas. For the icebreakers tried hard to keep the waterways open so the ships could move into the lakes, traverse the St. Mary's River and others to the harbors desired by the lake skipper.

Many times back at the change of the century, ships would be trapped in slush or hard ice in the middle of a floe, sometimes for weeks at a time and supplies were brought by cutter as sleds to them from the shore. Winter comes to Lake Superior and the Soo Locks early as to the land of the Hiawatha and the Chippewa, and everything freezes up.

Perhaps "Big Mac", a large ice breaker built at or during World War II is the most famous of the Coast Guard ice breakers, however, there are many more among them: East Wind, Sundew, Woodline, Kaw, Arundel, Acacia and, last but not least, the Mesquite.

Some are cutters, while others are tenders, but all are capable and always on duty. The Big Mac is usually the leader to ride into and break the way up the St. Mary's ice jams and open the pathway for the smaller breakers who follow and open the passageway wider and keep the ice moving downstream.
After the river is opened, the large lake freighters follow one by one east from Huron and west to Superior and western ports, and also in Lake Michigan. The large cutters also help a ship which has got off track and run aground by pulling them off the hang up, and if they have received damage and are taking water they get help on the spot.

If a plate from the ship splits and springs a leak or needs patching or covering, or if more water pumps are needed, the cutters put men aboard to assist or do the job. Early into March, the cutters are moving and breaking ice from Detroit up the St. Clair River and into Lake Huron to Roger City, Alpena, Saginaw Bay, then around the mitten of Michigan into Lake Michigan to Escanaba, Green Bay, Traverse Bay and down to the foot of Lake Michigan to Chicago and Gary, Indiana's ports and river entrances.

When the St. Mary's River is open and blue water is seen, the large cutters move to the Superior Ports of Duluth, Superior, and up to Fort William and Port Arthur to open them all up and assist the western and northern traffic through the late spring ice floes in Superior.

Thank heaven for the Coast Guard and their ice breakers.

If you ever get a chance to visit aboard one of the cutters, do so. It is very interesting. A friend who I grew up with works as a volunteer at the Bramble at Port Huron. His name is Terry Brackenberry and he was also a commercial fisherman from four generations of the Brackenberry fishing family.