Detroit's Floating Post Office

I don't remember how I stumbled across this tidbit exactly, because I've never been to Detroit, but I knew the second I saw "floating post office" I had to do a blog post on it. When you're a historical author, you stumble across all kinds of fun facts. :)

J.W. Westcott around 1908
(Public Domain)

Before Henry Ford drove the first automobile down the streets of Detroit, this city held the only floating post office in America. And now, the J.W. Westcott is the only ship to have its own zip code.

John Ward Westcott must have been destined to make his mark on the Great Lakes. It is almost eerie how how the waters seem to run through the family, even to the decedents today.  David and Mary Jane Westcott, John's parents, were the first couple to be married on a steamship in the Great Lakes. As a fireman and also the founder of  the Ward's Central and Pacific Line, the Westcotts were a prominent Michigan family and well known in the shipping industry. However it would be John who made the greatest impression.

As a boy, John Westcott worked in his father's shipyards and also as a cabin boy. In 1869, John Westcott became the youngest man to captain on freshwater. A mere five years later, this enterprising young man founded his own company. His familiarity with the industry caused him to see a need. A reporting agency that could pass docking and destination information to the ships. He used a rowboat to ferry messages to shore and back and became known for his "mail in a pail" method. Since this was before the invention of radios, etc, his business boomed since companies relied on messages for communication and logistics. Westcott would put the messages in a pail that would be raised over the ship's rail.

John Ward Westcott Circa 1910
Detroit Free Press (Public Domain)

Westcott opened several locations or branches along the Great ports, however only one survives today. In 1902, Westcott had a disagreement with a couple of employees, who then left the company and started their own. The competing Independent Marine Reporting Company didn't last long, however.

In 1948, the Westcott family signed a contract to become a part of the United States Postal Service. It is now a mail boat that delivers mail, and much more, to sailors in the Great Lakes. It even has its very own zip code, and is the only ship to have one.

Even today, the J.W. Westcott is a lot more than a mail delivery boat. The staff and crew have cultivated relationships for years, and since the business has stayed in the family, it is as much a part of the community as anything could be. A postal worker will drop mail off at the boat, but it isn't their only cargo. They also deliver tobacco products, coffee, toilet paper...almost anything to the ships off shore. There are even tales of a mistress being delivered to a ship, while the unsuspecting wife was ferried back to shore. Other oddities include the delivery of a goat destined for a petting zoo. Today the J.W. Westcott is still in the family. The great-grandson of John Westcott retains presidency of his family's heirloom business. 

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Amber Schamel writes riveting stories that bring HIStory to life. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".  Her title, Dawn of Liberty, was awarded the 2017 CSPA Book of the Year award in Historical Fiction. She lives in Colorado and spends half her time volunteering in the Ozarks. Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberSchamel.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Pewabic Pottery--and a Giveaway!

Influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, Mary Chase Perry experimented with glazes, using her neighbor, Horace Caulkins' basement kiln. She developed beautiful new finishes for her ceramic art work. Caulkins’ Revelation kiln, first used for dental ceramics, and then with Mary’s ceramics, formed the basis of the partnership which became Pewabic Pottery.

Copyrighted, Fair Use, Author unknown

Perry had been born in Hancock, Michigan in the upper peninsula, where copper had been mined. “Pewabic,” the name of a copper mine, coming from a Chippewa word which had to do with metal, became synonymous with the beautiful iridescent glazes she used on her pottery.

Pewabic Pottery building in Detroit, by Andrew Jameson
(Creative Commons) 

The business partnership began in 1903. In 1908, Perry and Caulkins commissioned an important Detroit architectural firm, Stratton and Baldwin to build a new studio on East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit to house Pewabic Pottery and is still in existence to this day. In 1907, they moved into the Tudor structure. While the building had changed hands for a time and was used as an educational facility by Michigan State University, it has since become a National Historic Landmark and is now occupied by the non-profit, Pewabic Society, Inc. 

1930s glazed earthenware, Public Domain

William Stratton, who was interested in supporting the arts, took a personal interest in Mary Chase Perry and eleven years later they married. Mary Chase Perry Stratton continued her work at Pewabic Pottery until her death at 94 in 1961.

Vessels and tiles, adorned with the lustrous colors and iridescent glazes of Pewabic Pottery became a well-known representative of the Arts and Crafts movement. The studio’s work adorns buildings across the country, such as the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. It’s part of the collection at the Detroit Institute of Art as well.

From old water fountain at the Detroit Institute of Arts,
by Maia C., some rights reserved. 

Many vintage homes in the Detroit area boast Pewabic Pottery tiles from across the many years in colorful and muted hues and patterns surrounding fireplaces. Pewabic tiles are still considered desirable. 

Mary Chase Perry Stratton’s legacy continues today through the Pewabic Society and even the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit who's roots came from the school of art and design which she once helped establish.  

About Kathleen: Kathleen Rouser has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She desires to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She is a long time member in good standing of ACFW and a former board member of its Great Lakes Chapter. Kathleen has been published in anthologies, including the Amazon bestseller, Christmas Treasures, as well as in both print and online magazines. Her debut full-length novel, Rumors and Promises, was recently published by Heritage Beacon Fiction in April, 2016.

A Surprise for you! Leave a comment today or tomorrow for chance to win a paperback or Kindle copy of Rumors and Promises, winner's choice. 

About Rumors and Promises:

Sophie Biddle, an heiress on the run with a child in tow, considers herself abandoned by her family and God. Wary, self-reliant Sophie is caught off guard when meeting a kind, but meddling and handsome minister at the local mercantile.

In 1900, Reverend Ian McCormick is determined to start anew in Stone Creek, Michigan, believing he has failed God and his former flock. He works harder than ever to forget his mistake, hoping to prove himself a most pleasing servant to his new congregation and once again to God.

While Sophie seeks acceptance for the child and a measure of respect for herself, the rumors swirl about her sordid past. Should Ian show concern for Sophie plight, he could risk everything - including his position as pastor of Stone Creek.

Now the pair must choose to trust God and forgive those who slander and gossip, or run. Will the scandals of their pasts bind them together forever, or drive both deeper into despair?