Read
what others are saying about For Those in peril:
Shipwrecks of Ottawa County Michigan:
"Craig
Rich has done a great job of exploring and recreating
for us the dreadful shipping accidents around historic
Ottawa County. Their stories will captivate western
Michigan residents, historians, and divers alike. For
Those in Peril is a wonderful resource!"
- C.
Patrick Labadie, Historian, Thunder Bay National Marine
Sanctuary, Alpena, MI
"For
Those In Peril: Shipwrecks of Ottawa County" is an important addition to any
Great Lakes maritime book collection. Craig Rich chronicles the exciting rescues
and devastating losses of over a hundred vessels decade by decade from the 1850s
through the modern era in what is the most comprehensive tally ever compiled for
the region."
- Geoffrey
Reynolds, Executive Director, Joint Archives of Holland
"This book has appeal for and makes important
contributions to several areas of interest. For those
interested in local or state history, it has the rare
combination of being filled with detailed information
and great human interest. Craig’s style takes what could
easily be a dry database and breathes life into it. For
those interested in Great Lakes maritime history, it
provides a highly readable, geographically focused look
at the progression of marine practice and technology.
For the recreational diver, it is a great resource on
potential dive sites. I highly recommend it."
-
Bob Vande Vusse, Director, Fennville District Library,
Fennville, MI
The lyrics
of the hymn "Eternal Father Strong to Save" pay homage to sailors who risk their
lives in the course of everyday work and aptly express the intriguing maritime
heritage of Ottawa County, Michigan, a region along the eastern shore of Lake
Michigan that saw many a ship and sailor lost.
The
lakeshore communities of Grand Haven and Holland became thriving commercial
ports in the latter half of the 19th century and bore witness to the
evolutionary changes in Great Lakes transportation. Early wooden sailing vessels
were replaced by wooden steamers, which soon made way for steel vessels, which
grew to include today's "thousand footers." Schooners laden with lumber and
stone gave way to luxury passenger steamships ferrying Chicago’s wealthy
tourists to Ottawa County’s grand tourist hotels.
Families
were changed forever when husbands and sons were lost to the gales of November,
and fortunes were lost when vessel owners tried to get just one more trip in
before the harsh winters closed the ports. Many of these vessels were simply
overtaken by age, mechanical failure or shifting sands. Some broke up on shore
while others were refloated to sail again. Some were left to rot at the dock
while others simply sailed over the horizon into oblivion never to be seen
again. Many now serve as “ice water museums,” attracting scuba divers, explorers
and historians to these shipwrecks that comprise an important part of the early
history of Ottawa County and the Great Lakes region as well.
Regional Studies
136 Pages -
55 photographs
ISBN:978-0-9801750-2-8
"For Those In Peril" is now
available!
My new book is on sale now at Reader's
World, Tree House Books and the Holland Museum in Holland, MI as well as The
Bookman, Hostettler's Newsstand and the Tri-Cities Museum in Grand Haven,
MI. You may also find it at your local Barnes & Noble and Borders Books.
The book
is 136 pages, soft-cover and priced at $17.95.
If you
order here, you will receive FREE
SHIPPING!
