Superior Volunteers Prime SS Meteor for 130th Birthday Celebration

SUPERIOR, WI — A spring tradition expanded this week as Superior Historic Properties welcomed volunteers to the SS Meteor for a few extra days. For the past 20 years, volunteers have gathered to spend a weekend preparing the last whaleback freighter for tourist season, according to Jess McCullough, Superior Historic Properties director. Now that the ship is under city management, he said, the annual work weekend was extended to a full week of painting, cleaning, staging, de-winterizing and carpentry.

SS Meteor Work Week also prepares the vessel for its 130th birthday celebration, scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 16. The public is invited for tours and a look at new interactive exhibits. “There will be cake,” added tour guide Bella Olson.

What does sprucing up a 130-year-old ship include? By Tuesday afternoon, much of the entry area had been freshly painted and projects were underway in the stairwells, galley and engine room. “There’s so many volunteers and so many people that just care so much about this. … They’re worth their weight in gold,” said Jacob Bunt, superintendent of facilities, construction and maintenance for the city. He was in the process of covering walls of the ship’s hold with a coat of white marine paint, which Bunt said had a texture similar to glue.

In the engine room, volunteer Mark Booth took time out from repair work to discuss the Meteor’s triple-expansion steam engine, which was recently restored to working condition. “We’re doing a lot of fun in the engine room. I think we can give them a better show,” Booth said. Olson scraped paint from stairway walls while other volunteers tackled floor repair in a crew bedroom and repainted the galley cupboards Tuesday.

Volunteer Erik Larson of Minneapolis brought his knowledge of lakers to the task. He is the third mate on the Erie Trader, which is paired with the tugboat Clyde S. VanEnkevort. The Erie Trader is more than twice the size of the Meteor — 850 long compared to 380. Larson said he was happy to get a chance to work on the last remaining whaleback. “I like boats and I kind of like the history part of it, being able to say ‘I’m part of it, working on an 1800s boat.’ They don’t build them like this anymore,” Larson said. “It’s kind of cool to come see what the past was like.” He did take a break from painting to watch his own barge, the Erie Trader, pass by. Larson and fellow volunteers were treated to a blast from the barge’s horn before returning to work.

The SS Meteor was launched from Superior in 1896. It was the 36th of 44 ships built by the American Steel Barge Co., based on Capt. Alexander McDougall’s whale-like design. Originally christened as the Frank Rockefeller, the Meteor served as an ore carrier before being converted to haul dredge material and cars as the South Park. It last served as a petroleum tanker before it was turned into a museum in 1973.

Walk-in volunteers are welcome through May 2. They can also sign up online through the Superior Historic Properties events calendar:

Superior Telegram