Cruises on the Great Lakes

Referred to as "inland seas," the five Great Lakes provided the opportunity to travel in elegance. Popular from the late 1800s and through the 1920s, one could book passage on cruise ships that boasted accomodations every bit as luxurious as those found on long-distance ocean liners. These lake excursions promised a safe, efficient, clean and stylish way to travel. Departing from major cities like Chicago, Detroit or Milwaukee, steamships carried passengers to major ports and resort towns that had sprouted up along the shores of the Great Lakes. For one dollar in 1900, one could purchase a round-trip ticket and board a steamer in Chicago bound for South Haven, Michigan. The 'S.S. South American,' seen here in Chicago circa 1930s, began to offer vacation cruises in 1914. Sometimes referred to as the "Queen of the Great Lakes" and often staffed with summer-free college students, the 450-passenger 'S.S. South American' carried honeymooners and families around the inland seas for a memorable fifty-three years.