The Great Lakes freighter James R. Barker was built in 1976 for the Interlake Steampship Company. One of the first thousand-footers on the Lakes (the first being the Stewart J. Cort), the James R. Barker is named for the President and Chairman of the Board of Interlake Steamship Company. Another ship, the Kaye E. Barker, is named for his wife and is featured in the full version of this episode. The St. Marys River channel connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron and is the site of the Soo Locks in the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Ontario. The locks carry ships past the natural rapids of the St. Marys and were constructed in

Galveston Shipwatching

Shipwatching
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Galveston Island has always had a great connection to the sea. First settled with Europeans in 1817– by Jean Lafitte, a pirate– Galveston quickly became an important port city. The largest city in Texas, it was the busiest port west of New Orleans and a quickly growing cultural capital. Unfortunately, wealth and activity were not the only things the sea brought to Galveston. In 1900, it was hit by “The Great Storm,” a hurricane that to this day is the most deadly natural disaster in American history. One third of the city was destroyed and shortly afterwards, its role as a major port was taken over by Houston. Today, Galveston has rebounded and refreshed itself with