Nicholson Transit Company (River Rouge, Mich.)

The City of Bangor (built 1896) was a steamer on the Great Lakes during the early 20th century. Originally designed to carry ore, in 1925 she was converted into an automobile carrier. In November, 1926, with a relatively light load of 248 new Chrysler automobiles, compared with the heavier load of ore, she was riding high through rough winds and seas approaching Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula on Lake Superior. Her small engine was useless against the storm, and she grounded near the shore, right off the northern tip of the Keweenaw. The crew was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard; however, the cargo of over 200 cars was encased in ice, still aboard the ship. It took until February to chop all the ice free and open the back roads. Finally the cars were unloaded and driven to Calumet, and were later sold on the market.