City of Midland 41 under construction

Date

• 1940

Summary

• The railroad carferry "City of Midland 41" is enclosed by scaffolding while under construction in building berth B at the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Manitowoc, Wisconsin in 1940. Reaching over the ferry’s bow at the far end is one of two bridge cranes used during construction. On the skyline at the far left is St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, located at 634 North Tenth Street. Built by Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company for the Pere Marquette Railroad at a cost of approximately $2 million, the City of Midland 41 was the largest and most luxurious carferry that had ever been built up to that time. She measured 406 feet in length and had a capacity of 34 loaded freight cars, 50 automobiles, and 376 passengers who were accommodated in 60 staterooms, 12 parlor suites, smoking rooms, a lounge, and a large dining salon. There were even steel dog kennels for passengers’ pets. The City of Midland’s keel was laid March 21, 1940. She was launched September 18, 1940; underwent sea trials March 9, 1941; and departed on her maiden voyage to Ludington, Michigan on March 12, 1941. While the City of Midland was under construction, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company received a contract to build submarines for the U.S. Navy, and the shipyard started converting to war production. The first steel for the submarine program arrived in Manitowoc February 12, 1941, one month before the City of Midland left on her maiden voyage.