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Kinsman Independent started, and appears to be ending her career with independent operations, the kind that have all but disappeared from the Great Lakes. In 1952, with Great Lakes shipyards busy during the Korean conflict, a facility not usu- ally involved in constructing ore boats - Defoe Shipbuilding Co. of Bay City, Mich.,— was awarded a contract from Pioneer Steamship Co., which The vessel was not was managed by the Hutchinson family, for a new ves- . sel, largely based on the “super” class of vessel (Leon destined to act any Fraser and others) built for Pittsburgh Steamship Co. size or capacity in 1942, but to slightly larger dimensions and with records ... some mechanical and design enhancements. Hull 422, launched as Charles L. Hutchinson, became the flagship of the Pioneer Steamship Co. The vessel was not destined to set any size or capacity records - at 642-feet 3-inches long, she was not even in the top 10 longest lakers when she entered service on Sept. 24, 1952. The Hutchinson’s engine had some history behind it: Built by Bethlehem Steel in 1941, it was originally installed in a saltwater vessel, the Alcoa Prospector, which was sunk dur- ing World War II by enemy action but recovered for scrap. The engine was still suitable for use and was installed in the Hutchinson. Never a speedster, the steam turbine pow- erplant was capable of pushing the vessel at just over 14 miles per hour loaded. Although similar, the Hutchinson had some advantages over the “supers” of a decade earlier. For one, she burned oil. The Hutchinson also offered better cubic dimen- > E tyne The Indy takes on one of her last cargos. Grain trimmers work to make sure the cargo is level. (Glenn Blaszkiewicz) KYS 2003 a