Letter from the Captain
Chicago exists because it happens to be where the lake and river join, which made it possible
for the town to become the hub of the United States; first by water, then by rail and now by air.
Chicago became a great city for many reasons, but from a distant perspective, Chicago could reasonably claim to have given the United States two presidents; one who better than any other said what it can and should be; and the other, 150 years later, proof she could be what Abraham Lincoln envisioned.
We of the boating community have a privilege without price: we see the city from the river and lake at
its best. Looking east at dawn, the sun comes up like thunder across Lake Michigan. Off Wolf Point at sunset, the city is ablaze from the reflection of the sun’s rays off the buildings that line the main channel to the lake. At night when the full moon pops up above Michigan, we can see a golden road before the moon jumps free.
Eleven years from now Chicago will celebrate its Bicentennial. There are four stars on the Chicago flag today. 2037 could be the right time to add a fifth star.
The river and lake are in some ways the most inspiring parts of the city - the parts that belong to no one. For that reason they can belong to anyone. We can see the city from its best side whenever we wish with our families and friends. As a boating community we should extend that opportunity to as many young boys and girls as we possibly can - because they will chart the direction for Chicago as it enters its third century.
Chicago Maritime Bicentennial intends to collect, restore and preserve a small fleet of classic vessels to tell the story of how Chicago came to be the city it is from the days when water was the key to its existence. These boats can be used to teach young boys and girls how to operate and care for them; and what the lake and river offer as a vocation or avocation. It should be a wonderful and rewarding challenge to offer these opportunities to the young people who can make Chicago once again the greatest of the great cities of the Great Lakes.
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Captain Toby
