Florence Haas

Florence Haas, depicted in a 1904 article of the Grand Traverse Herald.

Grand Traverse Herald, 20 October 1904.

Quick Facts

Significance:

First licensed female captain on the Great Lakes

Place of Birth:

Racine, WI

Date of Birth:

September 21, 1863

Place of Death:

Galveston, TX

Date of Death:

December 9, 1943

Place of Burial:

Green Bay, WI

Cemetery Name:

Fort Howard Memorial Park

Florence Haas was born to Isaac and Isabelle (Fuller) Raymo on September 21, 1863. She was the second oldest daughter of their eleven children. In 1871, when Florence was seven years old, the Raymo family moved to South Manitou Island. Isaac, her father, was a man of many trades, having worked as a lumberjack, a deep sea diver, a farmer, a fisherman, and a blacksmith. Most importantly to Florence, Isaac was a sailor. He was described as “one of the old time lake captains, remaining on the water until advancing age caused him to give up his boat”.¹ Growing up with her father fueled Florence's love of the water. She learned how to pilot a boat while traveling on the lakes with him.

At sixteen, Florence eloped with Joseph Haas, a 26-year-old Bavarian immigrant who was living with his family on South Manitou Island. The two were married in Manistee, MI in 1879. According to Florence's great-grandson, Don Roy, the couple eloped “because parental opposition to the marriage was so great. Maria Hoffman Haas the mother-in-law to be, a woman of strong opinions, disliked young Florence Raymo, a woman of equally strong opinions.”²

Florence and Joseph Haas with their children. From left to right: Joseph (back), Laurence, Jesse, Florence, and George. NPS Photo.

After marriage, Florence and Joseph established their home on South Manitou Island, near the lighthouse. Together they had three children: George, Jesse, and Laurence. While on the island, Florence served as a midwife for other families. “Many island children were delivered under her very capable and confident hands,” wrote Don Roy. “I remember her saying “I never lost a baby.””²

Florence and Joseph attempted several careers while they struggled to make a living for their family. Although they tried farming and fishing, they are best remembered as the island’s mail carriers.³ Three times a week, they used their boat, Reliance, to ferry mail and passengers to and from the town of Glen Haven on the mainland.¹ While Joseph and their youngest son Laurence were usually with her on these trips, Florence was more than capable of piloting the Reliance on her own. One article from 1904 describes a time where the family was traveling back from Green Bay, WI at dusk. As it grew late, Joseph and Laurence fell asleep in the boat. To avoid waking them, Florence drove the boat back to South Manitou Island entirely on her own.^1,4

"Mrs. Haas does not have to carry the mail, she could remain quietly at home; she is not forced to take long trips across treacherous [Lake] Michigan, but she loves the water and likes to know that no matter how high the waves roll, she can baffle them with the skill that lies in her hands, nerves and brain."

—Grand Traverse Herald, October 20, 1904

The mail boat Reliance, which Florence piloted between South Manitou Island and Glen Haven. Photo courtesy of the Manitou Islands Archive.

The trip between South Manitou Island and Glen Haven crosses the Manitou Passage, a section of Lake Michigan known to be especially perilous during storms. Dozens of ships, including large freighters, have met their ends within the Manitou Passage. Despite the danger, Florence was confident in her skills.

As one 1904 article wrote, “No matter how fierce the storm, Mrs. Haas would not hesitate if a trip was to be made. She would go out when men wouldn’t go and would sail her boat when men refused to take their’s [sic] from shelter.”² Another article describes: “Last fall during an unusually severe storm, a lumberman was a passenger on the boat. When about halfway over he became greatly alarmed and offered her $500.00 to turn back. With a flash in her eyes she turned upon him and said “You keep still and I’ll land you on the other side for 50 cents which is the regular fare.””¹

Referring to Florence, Lieutenant Ballinger, an inspector for the US Life Saving Service, remarked that "there is not a better sailor on the lakes than the captain of the Reliance."⁵ Given her skills, it is no surprise that Florence Haas formally earned her license to pilot her boat in 1911. This made her the first woman licensed to pilot a passenger boat on the Great Lakes.

A photocopy of Florence Haas's 1911 license. The original document is still with her family today. Scan used with permission from the Leelanau Historical Society.

While Florence was at home on Lake Michigan, she was not immune from tragedy. In 1912, one year after receiving her license, her husband Joseph drowned in the lake. He had been unloading a box from their boat when it fell on his head, knocking him unconscious and sending him into the water. Despite a quick response from the US Life Saving Service, Joseph was not able to be revived.¹  

Florence continued the mail route with Laurence for about a year after Joseph’s death. In 1919, Florence moved to Frankfort, MI with Laurence and his wife, Myrtle to work as a cook on one of the car ferry boats traveling the Great Lakes, the Ann Arbor No. 4.⁴ Though she was not the captain on this ship, her outspoken personality was still apparent to all who met her. Her grandson, Theron Haas, recounted an interaction she had with Henry Ford:⁶ 

"Mr. Ford came to Frankfort one day and arranged for the carferry No.4 to take him and his entourage to Escanaba. Grandma [Florence] was first cook and my mother was cabin maid.

... Mr. Ford came back to the galley where he engaged my grandmother in conversation. ... She was preparing dinner and, among other things, she was preparing pies for the oven.

According to my mother, he tried every way to get one of those pies. Even offered her $5.00 for one. She told him there was just enough to go around and he would get his share at meal time. I guess she just couldn't be bribed."

Florence Haas (left) stands next to her nephew, Archie Roy (right), circa 1920. Photo used with permission from the Leelanau Historical Society.

Eventually, Florence moved to Galena Park, TX, where she spent the rest of her life. The reason for her move is still unclear, as she would not have had relatives in Texas at the time.⁷ She passed away on December 10, 1943, at 80 years old. Her memory is preserved in newspaper articles from her years piloting the mailboat, where she is often referred to as “captain” of her ship: “She is a Captain – Woman Knows no Fear”,¹ and “Woman Captain is Pride of Officers”.⁵ She is also memorialized in Florence Lake on South Manitou Island, which was named after her. Most importantly, Florence Haas is remembered by her descendants, who treasure the stories, letters, and scrapbooks that detailed her life. As Don Ray reminisced in his essay about her:² 

"This was quite a remarkable woman. Strong, stubborn! One sensed the strength behind her quiet exterior. She was apparently self taught as there is no record of any formal education. She was a prolific reader and never lost her interest in politics or current events.

... Her strong opinions and nature made her a number of enemies even among her own relations. I remember her as a kind and affectionate lady and I miss her very much. They do not make her kind any more. The mold must have been lost!"

A postcard depicting Florence Lake on South Manitou Island, which is named after Florence Haas. Photo courtesy of the Manitou Islands Archives.

Sources

1. “She is a Captain.” Evening Post [Grand Rapids, MI], 15 October, 1904. http://www.manitouislandsarchives.org/history/biographicalessays/haas/references/%5B45%5D19041015SheIsACaptain.pdf
2. Roy, Don. “Florence Haas – A Remembrance.” July 1992. http://www.manitouislandsarchives.org/history/biographicalessays/haas/references/%5B31%5DFlorenceHaas-ARemembrance.pdf
3. “Florence Haas – Great Lakes Captain.” 15 March, 2022. https://www.leelanauhistory.org/2022/03/15/florence-haas-great-lakes-captain/
4. “Plucky Lake Captain.” Grand Traverse Herald [Traverse City], 20 October, 1904, Page 3. https://digmichnews.cmich.edu/?a=d&d=GrandTraverseGTH19041020-01.1.3&srpos=1&e=20-10-1904-20-10-1904--en-10-GrandTraverseGTH-1--txt-txIN-captain---------
5. “Woman Captain is Pride of Officers.” Muskegon Daily Chronicle; 1 August, 1907. http://www.manitouislandsarchives.org/history/contributedmaterial/davidmorris/documents/19070801.pdf.
6. Gmiter, Tanda. “Great Lakes’ first woman boat captain remembered for steely nerve, sass.” MLive, 11 May, 2018. https://www.mlive.com/news/2018/05/great_lakes_first_woman_boat_c.html
7. Haas, Trina & Haas Coker, Belinda. Interview by Nancy Hayes and Katelyn Fredericks. 23 July 2009.