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Event

Sonny Don freight trip from Beaver Island to Charlevoix, 1974

Also 1974 Sonny Don crossing · first 1974 Beaver Island boat trip

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

Locator map: Saint James Harbor highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago
Took place at Saint James HarborLocator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.
TypeEvent
Dates1974-03-22 – 1974-03-25
WithinBeaver Island
ErasModern era
On this page
Locator map: Saint James Harbor highlighted within the Beaver Island archipelago
Took place at Saint James HarborLocator plate © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0); depths NOAA; names USGS GNIS. How the plates are drawn.
Event
Dates
1974-03-22 – 1974-03-25
Kind
Transportation
Where
Saint James Harbor
Participants
Paul Kenwabikisssee (operator) · John Kenwabikisssee (passenger) · Buz Anderson (passenger)
Eras
Modern era
Concepts
fishingmaritimeshippingcommunity
Within
Beaver Island

Summary

Paul Kenwabikisssee, his eldest son John, and Buz Anderson took Paul’s fish tug Sonny Don from the Island Coast Guard Station to Charlevoix on March 22, 1974, to collect freight. They returned early on March 25 through high winds, drift ice, and blowing snow.

Evidence and limits

The report documents one freight crossing and the source’s vessel and name spellings. It does not establish the Sonny Don’s registry, dimensions, ownership documents, cargo, or complete working life.

See also

Sources

  1. Reports Paul Kenwabikisssee, his eldest son John, and Buz Anderson leaving the Island Coast Guard Station in Paul’s fish tug Sonny Don on March 22 for Charlevoix freight, then returning March 25 through high winds, drift ice, and blowing snow at about 3:30 a.m. The notice does not supply a registry, dimensions, freight manifest, or complete crew record.
    data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1974-03_Beaver-Beacon
  2. The held nine-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.
    data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1974-03_Beaver-Beacon

Added 1 August 2026 · revised 3 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “Sonny Don freight trip from Beaver Island to Charlevoix, 1974”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/sonny-don-freight-trip-1974/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, March 1974, “First Boat.” (and 1 further source listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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