In 1953, the Marine Angel, a cargo ship measuring 634 feet (about 193 meters) in length, made its way along the Chicago River, passing beneath the Michigan Avenue Bridge. At the time, it was the largest vessel ever to travel that route. The ship was en route to Lake Michigan to be converted into a self-unloading ore carrier for service on the Great Lakes. Navigating such a massive vessel through downtown Chicago was a complex task. The Marine Angel had to maneuver around sharp bends and under low bridges, assisted by tugboats and experienced crews to ensure safe passage. The Saint Lawrence seaway wouldn’t be open until 1959 and this was the only way to get a ship of this size from the eastern seaboard into the Great Lakes. #archaeohistories