C Cleveland

Since I've added C Cleveland Saturdays, it's really given me an opportunity to look at Cleveland in a different light. I knew that there were a bunch of things that I loved about it, but now I'm finding all the little pieces of the past that add to the colorful history of my hometown.

The Steamship William G. Mather Museum is docked along the shores of Lake Erie, harkening us back to the early days of commerce and shipping on the Great Lakes. I'm sure a lot of Clevelanders pass her on the way to work every day and never even see her.



This 1925 freighter was built in Detroit to be the flagship of the Cleveland Cliff Iron Company and was named after Cleveland Cliffs President and industrialist, William G. Mather. She measures 682 feet long, 62 feet wide and has a 14,000 ton capacity.


Loading cargo, 1930's

During World War II, she led a convoy of freighters throught the icy waters of Lake Erie to supply allied forces with steel and her efforts were highlighted in the April 28, 1941 issue of Life magazine. Her elegant quarters and state of the art equipment made her a standout among other freighters of the time.


The Mather in the 50's


The dunnage room has quarters for 8 crewmen


The spar deck


The original guest foyer


Prior to restoration


Guest foyer today


Foyer and observation lounge


The pilot room


The honeymoon suite where William Mather and his bride spent the days after their wedding.


Decked out for the holidays

In 1987, Cleveland Cliffs donated her to the Great Lakes Historical Society who performed an extensive renovation and converted her to a museum.

In 1995, the Harbor Heritage Society was formed and successfully negotiated a lease agreement with the City of Cleveland to allow the Mather to stay docked at its current East 9th Street home for 40 years.