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TELESCOPE June 125 A Trip to the Lakes By Donald C. Ringwald Photographs by the Author The last two years or so have seen a drastic withdrawal of much of our lake passenger services and fleet. This followed an era of good feeling when it seemed that the passenger trade would take new vitality--with such ships as Cayuga, Aquarama and Erie Queen as evidence. The article below pictures lake passenger trade just as the last great shakeout was taking place, in 1949-52, and reminds us how rich our lakes have been so recently. Donald Ringwald is Editor-in-Chief of Steamboat Bill, the quarterly journal of Steamship Historical Society of America. Aspects of Hudson River steamboat history have been his writing specialty for American Neptune and other publications. Back in 1950, I set forth on a steamboating expedition to the lakes. Primarily, I went to travel on steamers of the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company. For many years, the D&C had been high on my list of "musts," but for many years the D&C and I had failed to meet. In 1950, conditions were finally favorable, and in the nick of time, too. After that year, as you all know, the D&C ran no more. I have delved into my journal covering that expedition, not to write a lengthy dissertation on the joys of travelling on the majestic sidewheelers of the D&C, but rather to evoke perhaps some nostalgic reflections on what one could do in the way of steamboating in a few short days at that time. PHOTOGRAPHS ON OPPOSITE PAGE--ABOVE: Eastern States is shown shifting from D&C's main Third Street terminal to its First Street dock on 22 August 1950 to load passengers for its daytime excursion to Put-in-Bay. BELOW: Put-in-Bay is shown at the old Water Works Dock in Port Huron, the northern terminal of her St. Clair River excursions, on 20 August 1950.