New Mackinac Bridge coins commemorating car ferries available June 16
New Mackinac Bridge coins commemorating car ferries available June 16
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) today announced a special ceremony will be held on Friday, June 16, commemorating the eight state-operated car ferries that helped millions of passengers cross the Straits of Mackinac prior to completion of the Mackinac Bridge in 1957. The 1 p.m. event will take place at Bridge View Park in St. Ignace where MDOT and MBA officials will celebrate the release of the new coins, along with other local and state dignitaries.
“For over 30 years, car ferries were the only effective way to cross the Straits of Mackinac,” said MBA Board Chairman William Gnodtke. “In 1923, the Ariel was the first state-operated vessel to serve a key transportation role before the Mackinac Bridge was built.”
In 1928, after five years of serving the public, the late Governor Fred Green ordered the then-State Highway Department to actually study the feasibility of building a bridge.
“Whether it’s a ferry, a road, or a bridge, transportation is the vital link that stimulates the economy in this great state,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “This year, we are dedicating and circulating the new coins as a way to recognize the historical significance of the ferry service.”
Beginning in 1923, the following state-operated vessels made their way across the straits:
Ariel, 1923
Sainte Ignace, 1924
Mackinaw City, 1924
Straits of Mackinac, 1928
City of Cheboygan, 1937
City of Munising, 1938
City of Petoskey, 1940
Vacationland, 1952
NOTE: Two additional vessels were leased by the state from the Mackinaw Transportation Company.
“Mickey Sweeney, former Captain of the Vacationland (and my father), worked on all 10 of the ferries,” stated current MBA Administrator Bob Sweeney. “At the time it was in service, the Vacationland was a state-of-the-art vessel and often referred to as the, ‘Queen of the Fleet.'”
The new car ferry coins are the sixth in a series of bridge toll coins, or tokens, which customers can use to cross the bridge. Collectors and members of the public can purchase coins in individual sets at the June 16 event. All eight sets will be available.
1957-2007: The Mighty Mac – Linking Michigan’s Peninsulas for 50 Years
