The line was founded in 1868 by Albert Edgar Goodrich (born c. 1825–1826,
Buffalo, New York — 1885). Goodrich merged in April 1868 with the Engelmann line, run by Nathan and Michael Engelmann. What has become The
Burger Boat Company, operating as "Rand & Burger Shipyard" and then "Burger & Burger Shipyard" built many
steamship ferries for Goodrich (some are pictured below): the 205' S/S Menominee in 1872, the 165' S/S Depere in 1873, the 205' S/S Chicago in 1874, the 180' S/S City of Ludington in 1880, the 203' S/S City of Racine in 1889, the 201' S/S Indiana in 1890 for Goodrich. , Manitowoc, Wisconsin The line leased the
S.S. Christopher Columbus in 1899 and operated it in Chicago-Milwaukee excursion service for more than 30 years. The line was involved in a case versus the
Interstate Commerce Commission in 1912,
ICC v. Goodrich Transit Co., , which went all the way to the
United States Supreme Court. On February 4, 1915, the steamer
Iowa (built in 1896 on the hull of the
Menominee), on its way to the Port of Chicago with the
Racine (belonging to
Chicago Racine & Milwaukee Steamship Company), sent a radio message at 4:15 a.m., as she was about three miles out, that she had encountered heavy ice. The ice was especially bad that winter with ice freezing up to 25 miles from the port. She had been doing okay, under the command of Gerald E. Stufflebeam, as she approached the ice clogged harbor, until the wind shifted then she was crushed by the ice at 10:00 a.m. As the
Iowa sank about two miles out, the 1 passenger and 45 crew left the ship and took refuge on the ice. They started walking toward Chicago as rescuers headed to meet them, including city tugboats. Goodrich went bankrupt in 1933 and its operations ceased permanently. ==Gallery==