Eric Jylha, Dave Rogers to Narrate Saginaw River History Cruise Sept. 28
Keep Local History Alive! Join the Crowd for River Lore, Buffet and Punches
September 12, 2007
By: Dave Rogers
The Princess Wenonah excursion boat plys the Saginaw River past many historically significant sites.
All aboard for Saginaw River history!
The Bay County Historical Society and several other historical groups are sponsoring a cruise aboard the Princess Wenonah on Friday, Sept. 28, that will take cruisers back in time.
Conductors will be Eric Jylha, longtime broadcaster now affiliated with Maier & Associates Financial Group, Inc., and Dave Rogers, former newsman, local historian and author.
Civil War re-enactors are expected to be aboard for the cruise to add color and guitarist Tommy Anderson of the band Paisley Fogg will play timely tunes to coincide with historical themes as the cruise proceeds down the river to the mouth and returns.
"Join others interested in remembering the importance of the Saginaw River in developing the Bay area and at the same time support local history organizations," said Dee Dee Wacksman, one of the cruise organizers.
The cruise will be held at the beginning of the River of Time weekend to be held in Veterans Memorial Park and will tie-in with the historical theme of re-enacted events in the park.
Boarding for the narrated cruise starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Bay City Boat Lines dock behind the F.P. Horak Co. on the river at the foot of Ninth Street. the cruise is from 6-8 p.m.
A summer picnic buffet and two special punches with historical flavor, the Wenonah Hotel Punch, and the S.S. South American Punch, will be part of the package for a $25 per person "Pioneer" ticket. A cash bar will be available aboard the Islander.
Copies of the recently-rediscovered punch recipes will be given out during the cruise. The S.S. South American was the vessel used by the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce on its annual cruises on the Great Lakes that were a longtime tradition.
A silent auction and 50-50 raffle will be held on the cruise to benefit the Bay County Historical Museum, River of Time Living History Event, 7th Michigan Cavalry Civil War Round Table, and Historic Pine Ridge Cemetery.
Individual and corporate sponsorships are available in the following amounts: $60 - Patron (Lumberjack & Jill) (2 tickets plus program listing); $100 Explorer (program listing); $250 Venturer (4 tickets and program listing); $500 Lumber Baron (8 tickets and program listing).
Reservations may be made by calling the Bay County Historical Society, 893-5733 or Dave Rogers, 686-5544. Please make checks payable to the Bay County Historical Society.###