An early photograph of the William H. Donner
History
United States
Name	William H. Donner
Namesake	William Donner
Operator	Mahonig Steamship Company 1914-1929 Bethlehem Transportation Company 1929-1970 Miller Compressing Company 1970-1992 K & K Warehousing 1992-2018
Port of registry	United States, Fairport, Ohio
Builder	Great Lakes Engineering Works, Ashtabula, Ohio
Yard number	134
Launched	May 7, 1914
In service	July 7, 1914
Out of service	2018
Identification	IMO number: 5390682 Callsign: WB4522
Fate	Tied up in the Menominee River awaiting scrapping
Status	Crane ship
Notes	The Donner was built to replace the Charles S. Price which was lost in the Great Lakes Storm of 1913
General characteristics
Tonnage	6,311 gross 4,843 net
Length	524 ft (160 m)
Beam	54 ft (16 m)
Height	30 ft (9.1 m)
Installed power	2× Scotch marine boilers
Propulsion	1,900 horsepower triple expansion steam engine

The William H. Donner was an American Great Lakes freighter that was built in 1914 by the Great Lakes Engineering Works of Ashtabula, Ohio for service on the Great Lakes of North America. She was used to transport bulk cargoes such as iron ore, coal, grain and occasionally limestone. She operated from 1914 as a bulk carrier to 1970 when she was converted to a floating crane ship with two cranes. In order to facilitate better maintenance most of the ship's superstructure was eventually removed. It remained in service until 2016, when it was deemed obsolete to requirements. In 2020, the vessel, which consisted of only the hull and minus the cranes, was finally sold for scrap. It was towed on December 17 from Marinette Wisconsin to the Purvis Scrap Yard in Soo, Ontario Canada above the Soo Locks. The dismantling process will begin sometime in early 2021.^[1]

History

The Donner was launched on May 7, 1914, as hull number #134. She had a length of 524-feet, a beam of 54-feet and a height of 30-feet. She was built using the Isherwood System of longitudinal construction of ships, powered by a 1,900 horsepower triple expansion steam engine and fueled by two coal-fired Scotch marine boilers. She had the official number U.S. #212354. She was commissioned by the Mahonig Steamship Company ( M.A. Hanna & Co., Mgr.) of Cleveland, Ohio. Her homeport was Fairport, Ohio. She entered service on July 7, 1914, clearing Ecorse, Michigan bound for Cleveland, Ohio.^[2]

In 1929 the Donner was transferred to the Bethlehem Transportation Corporation's Ore Steamship Company (H.K. Oakes, Mgr.) of Cleveland. In 1955 she was re-registered to Wilmington, Delaware. In 1956 she was converted to a crane ship with two revolving cranes by the American Ship Building Company of Toledo, Ohio.

In 1970 the Donner was sold to the Miller Compressing Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for use as a freight transfer vessel at Milwaukee. In 1992 she was sold to K & K Warehousing and towed to Menominee, Michigan, then later to Marinette, Wisconsin to again serve as a freight transfer vessel.^[3]

In 2002 the Donner's pilothouse was removed. The final retirement of the old vessel came in March 2016 - after 102 years of service - when she was towed to the Menominee River and moored to await scrapping. The scrap tow was conducted in December 2020.^[4]

References