Arrival, Maiden Voyage, and Christening of the Emerald Isle, 1955

Event

Dates

1955-04-21 – 1955-04-23

Kind

Religious service

Where

Saint James Harbor

Participants

Mark Gross / Mark Cross (captain) · Henry C. Allen (officiant) · Lloyd McDonough (leader) · Bob Miller (leader) · Dave Miller (witness) · Mike Cull (passenger) · Maggie Boyle (officiant)

Carried out by

Beaver Island Boat Company

Eras

Modern era

Concepts

maritimeshippingtourismcommunityheritage

Within

Beaver Island archipelago

Summary

The new Emerald Isle arrived at Beaver Island from the Christy Corporation yards in Sturgeon Bay on April 21, 1955. That afternoon it made its maiden voyage to Charlevoix, taking two hours and forty minutes. On April 23, the island community held a christening at Saint James, with Mrs. Dan P. Boyle, called “Aunt Maggie,” performing the christening and Henry Allen, president of the Beaver Island Boat Company, conducting the ceremony.¹

The Beacon also identifies Mark Gross in the April advance notice and Mark Cross in the May account as captain. This article preserves that spelling conflict in an episode-qualified record rather than silently choosing one form. The ceremony included a Boat Company board, local and regional civic representatives, a blessing by Rev. Fr. Joseph, and an excursion to Charlevoix on April 24.¹

Arrival

The May 1955 Beaver Beacon account says word that the Emerald Isle had left the Christy Corporation yard spread through the island overnight, and islanders were up at dawn on April 21 watching for it. A message reached the island from the Beaver Head Light reporting that the boat had passed the light, and a crowd began gathering at the dock. The account describes the boat entering the harbor “with a broom at her bow” shortly before nine-thirty that morning.¹ Lloyd McDonough, vice president of the Boat Company, had been in Sturgeon Bay handling final details before the crossing and made the delivery trip along with a Caterpillar mechanic from the Michigan Tractor and Machinery Company of Grand Rapids, identified only as “Mr. Lewis,” and with Mike Cull.¹

That afternoon a party of islanders rode the maiden voyage to Charlevoix. Captain Cross circled Round Lake to give the harbor salute, which other boats and cars on the dock returned; the Charlevoix High School Band, under C. Odmark, played on the ramp, and the Charlevoix Board of Commerce presented the captain with a bouquet of carnations. The crossing took two hours and forty minutes, after which the crowd came aboard to inspect the new ferry.¹

Christening

By three o’clock on Saturday, April 23, Saint James was crowded for the christening. “Aunt Maggie” Boyle, 90 years old and the island’s oldest island-born resident, performed the christening while Henry Allen conducted the ceremony. Bert Rowe of Petoskey, with Joe Hanna, sang the national anthem, and Rev. Fr. Joseph, O.F.M.C., gave the blessing. A U.S. Coast Guard officer, identified as Commander Cronan and described as officer in charge of marine inspection, was introduced, along with Boat Company board members Lloyd McDonough, Dr. Harry F. Vail, Karl J. Erber and Theodore Hine, and Rogers Carlisle, credited with assisting the board. Representatives came from Petoskey, Charlevoix, Boyne City and Cadillac, including the Petoskey Chamber of Commerce secretary, who supplied the christening bottle from Dublin, and a broadcaster from a Cadillac television station who covered the day for area viewers.¹ A dinner for Boat Company officials, stockholders, and their families followed at Beaver Lodge that evening, and a further Boat Company excursion carried islanders back to Charlevoix on April 24.¹

Evidence and limits

The date range separates the reported April 21 arrival and maiden voyage from the April 23 christening; the April 16 delivery date was only tentative in the advance notice and is not used as the event start. The sources do not provide a formal vessel manifest, complete attendee list, exact shipyard specifications, or the later history of the ferry.

The source calls the christener “Mrs. Dan P. Boyle” and “Aunt Maggie.” The link to the existing Maggie Boyle record is source-compatible with the later family interview, but no civil marriage, birth, or death record is asserted here.

Added 1 August 2026 · revised 9 August 2026. Recent changes