SS George M. Cox

 
 
early view of the SS Puritan with the word 'Puritan' with large letters painted on the wheelhouse
SS PURITAN, circa 1900s.

Great Lakes Maritime Collection, Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library, 115054_115091_F

Introduction

John H. Graham, of Graham and Morton Transportation Company, was a prominent businessman connected with the passenger pleasure resort service out of Chicago and the fruit traffic from Michigan. Graham and Morton had built a line of palatial steamers primarily for the summer passenger service between Chicago, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. In addition, the vessels also carried freight between these cities as well as to Milwaukee (Mansfield 1899:2:245).

Graham and Morton Transportation evolved as a stock company in 1880 or 1881 from the partnership between J. Stanley Morton and J.H. Graham, formed originally in the early 1870s. By 1899, the Graham and Morton Transportation Co. had grown to be the largest single business on the docks at Benton Harbor and Chicago, employing more than 100 persons in the summer (Mansfield 1899:2:246).

 

The Story of the SS George M. Cox

 
steamship being constructed, held upright by a wood frame
Construction

Origin and Original Dimensions

bow of the SS George M. Cox
Operational History

Years of Service

steamship tilting badly, stuck on reef and sinking
Wreck Event

Incident and Survivor Accounts

 

Shipwreck Site

Scattered wreckage, twisted steel plating, and exposed machinery and prop. Buoy attached to boiler in 45 feet.

Map of George M. Cox Site - East View

 
sketch of the SS George M Cox, resting in two sections on the lake floor

SS GEORGE M. COX Site Map
NPS / J.L. Livingston & J. Nerdby

 

Map of George M. Cox Site - West View

sketch of the SS George M Cox, resting in two sections on the lake floor

SS GEORGE M. COX Site Map
NPS / J.L. Livingston & J. Nerdby

 

Quick Facts

 
SS George M. Cox Quick Facts
AttributeData
 

 

Last updated: November 24, 2020

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