Great Lakes freighter William Clay Ford Photo Print

Original photo by Gene Buel of Marine City, Michigan. Great Lakes freighter William Clay Ford. SS William Clay Ford was a bulk freighter built for hauling material on the Great Lakes. She was named for William Clay Ford Sr., grandson of Henry Ford. Her keel was laid in 1952 at River Rouge, Michigan by the Great Lakes Engineering Works, and she was launched in 1953. The ship was a part of the Ford Motor Company fleet of ore carriers and made her home port at Ford's River Rouge Plant, south of Detroit, Michigan. The first captain of William Clay Ford was John Jameson Pearce of Dearborn, Michigan. On the night of November 10, 1975, the lake freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald was reported lost. William Clay Ford was one of two ships involved in the initial search, along with the SS Arthur M. Anderson. Because of the bravery and valour demonstrated that night by Captain Don Erickson and his crew, they were presented with many accolades including a plaque bestowed upon them by the Great Lakes Maritime Institute recognizing their role in the search for Edmund Fitzgerald.