Wisconsin City Looking to Restore Last Remaining Ship of Its Kind

A one of a kind ship built in Wisconsin more than 120 years ago is looking to make a comeback with a new revitalization effort.

Known as a "whaleback"ship, the unique design is meant to give the max amount of cargo with minimum draft, or the depth of the ship below the water. Only 43 of the whaleback ships were made by the American Steel Barge Company in Superior, Wisconsin.

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The last of the whaleback ships, the SS Meteor, is now permanently land-berthed on Barker's Island in Superior, and has been since 1972. But a new effort is underway to get the ship's engines moving once again.

The SS Meteor is operated by Superior Public Museums, and they say over the last year, "dedicated staff have been taking McDougall’s dream a step further by revitalizing the SS Meteor’s Engine Room."

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The SS Meteor and Superior Public Museums are celebrating this milestone by having a fundraising event that will give the public an opportunity to see the engines "come alive" in an in-person demonstration.

The "Revitalize the SS Meteor" event will happen on Saturday, September 28th from 5 PM until 8 PM on the SS Meteor. Attendees of the event will also get a special 90-minute tour that is not yet available to the public, food, silent auction, raffle and "mocktails" from the SS Meteor bar.

Tickets are $20 a person for the event, and you can reserve one of the very limited spots for this event here, or call the Superior Public Museums at 715-394-5712.