On the evening of Saturday, April 20, 2024, Roger LeLievre gave his presentation "Hitchin' A Ride: An Inside Look at Life on the Lakers," to the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society. This event took place at Trinity Episcopal Church, 815 N. Grant (corner of Center Ave. and N. Grant St.) in Bay City, Michigan.
This presentation features Roger LeLievre’s photography and videography aboard various Great Lakes freighters or lakers (bulk carrier vessels), including vessels that no longer exist. Details about Roger LeLievre’s "Hitchin' A Ride: An Inside Look at Life on the Lakers," presentation: / 3899022430324042
Roger LeLievre comes by his interest in Great Lakes ships naturally - he grew up at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, just blocks from the Soo Locks, and remembers watching the boats go by during summers spent at his grandparent’s cottage on the St. Marys River shoreline. He shipped out on a Great Lakes freighter as soon as he turned 18, but rather than work on the boats, he wound up writing and speaking about them instead.
He has been editor and publisher of the annual “Know Your Ships” book since 1995 but has been involved in its publication much longer than that - he was 14 when his first boat picture was published in the 1968 edition.
President of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit for nearly 20 years, he is editor of its monthly publication “The Historian” and was recipient of the group’s Historian of the Year Award in 2006. He is also involved with the non-profit Web site BoatNerd.com as editor of the daily news page. In addition, he is an associate member of the International Shipmasters’ Association (Port Huron Lodge #2) and is on the Soo Locks Visitor Center Association board of directors.
He had been a guest on many Great Lakes freighters and has also enjoyed several cruises with Holland America Line, Victory Cruise Lines, American Queen Voyages and St. Lawrence Cruise Lines. His Great Lakes-themed presentations are popular around the Great Lakes.
A graduate of Central Michigan University, he spent 30 years in the newspaper business in Michigan, starting at the Sault Ste. Marie Evening News as a reporter and ending at the Ann Arbor News as an editor.
He divides his time between Ann Arbor and Sault Ste. Marie, living at the same cottage he grew up in with his grandparents.
Before, during intermission, and after Roger LeLievre's "Hitchin' A Ride: An Inside Look at Life on the Lakers" presentation, he signed copies of "Know Your Ships 2024" books, and had books and souvenirs for sale, too. (You can also order "Know Your Ships" books at www.knowyourships.com)
"Know Your Ships" website: www.knowyourships.com
"Fans of the Book Know Your Ships" Facebook group: / 74265040605
"Marine Historical Society of Detroit" website: www.mhsd.org
"Marine Historical Society of Detroit" Facebook page: / mhsd.org
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Welcome to the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society (SRMHS) UKposts channel. Video recordings of some of the past SRMHS monthly presentations are available here. Please subscribe to be notified about new presentations and other content related to our organization.
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The Saginaw River Marine Historical Society has seven monthly FREE presentations a year and they start at 6:30 pm, usually on the third Saturday of each month. Customarily, there are no presentations in May, June, July, August and December. Our upcoming presentations here: / events
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The 2400 square foot Saginaw River Marine Historical Society Museum and Store is in the Bay City Town Center (formerly known as Bay City Mall) and is located next to Zales Jewelers. Link to the Saginaw River Marine Historical Society Museum and Store on Google Maps: goo.gl/maps/M2hhiofdV1pNbeuF8
The artifacts on display in the SRMHS Museum tell the story of shipbuilding on the Saginaw River. While it is not a complete history of shipbuilding, we hope this will encourage visitors to learn more about the contributions of early Saginaw River shipbuilders. More than 650 commercial vessels were built on the Saginaw River and around the Saginaw Bay.
You can make an appointment to visit the SRMHS Museum and Store by calling Don Morin (SRMHS president) at 989-545-9425.