Join Bob Meyers from the Historical Society of Michigan as he tells the story of the S.S. Chicora.  In January 1895, the new steamer SS Chicora of Benton Harbor had already tied up for the winter. Then the Big Four Railroad called, asking her owners to send the Chicora to Milwaukee on what would become a final voyage. The steamer never made it back to port, and only small portions of the wreckage have ever been recovered— including two bottles containing written messages. Join us to learn of a fateful decision that doomed a ship and its 29-man crew.

Bob Myers is the Director of History Programming for the Historical Society of Michigan. He oversees many of the Society’s programs, including its Michiganders on the Road® bus tours, History Hounds® lecture series, Michigan History Alliance® program, and History Skills Workshop® series. He holds a BA in history from Alma College and an MA in history from Western Michigan University. He has authored numerous books, and his articles have appeared in Michigan History Magazine, Chronicle, and Michigan Historical Review. He has researched the histories of about 40 houses and leads the Historical Society of Michigan’s new Michigan Heritage Home™ program. He and his wife Candace live in Grand Ledge, where they are restoring their third old house, this one a 1903 Colonial Revival.