SS William E. Corey

William E. Corey was a product of the Chicago Shipbuilding Company of Chicago, Illinois. William E. Corey was launched on June 24, 1905, as hull number #67. The laker was one of four almost identical vessels; and William E. Corey were both launched in Chicago, launched in West Bay City, Michigan and launched in Superior, Wisconsin. All four vessels were the largest on the lakes at the time of their launch, hence the unofficial title "Queen of the Lakes". ==Mataafa Storm==

Shortly after her launch the brand new William E. Corey encountered one of the worst storms in Great Lakes history, the Mataafa Storm of 1905. On November 28, William E. Corey was driven hard aground onto Gull Island Reef in the Apostle Islands. During a very short period of time the temperatures dropped to and the winds reached hurricane force. After the storm William E. Corey was refloated on December 10, 1905. ==SS Ridgetown==

Over the next fifty three years William E. Corey changed hands many times until in 1963 she was sold to the Upper Lakes Shipping Company and renamed Ridgetown. The ship served for seven more years until in May 1970 when she was scuttled as a temporary breakwater at Nanticoke, Ontario in the summer. It was later refloated in 1973. On June 21, 1974 she was scuttled as a breakwater at Mississauga, Ontario. ==References==