Fish Tugs of the Greatest Lake

A.E. CLIFFORD

A. E. CLIFFORD 249688. Built by Milwaukee Shipbuilding Co. in 1947, for Andrew Wilson, Ontonagon, Mich. Of all-steel construction, 45 ft. x 13 ft., boat was equipped with a Model D13000 Caterpillar diesel. The boat's name is based on the first names of the owners and his sons: Andred, Earl, and Clifford Wilson. With a sturdy steel hull and powerful engine, it was well-suited for breaking ice (above).

After converting to trawling , the Wilsons sold the boat to Sivertson Fisheries, Duluth, Minn.

Converted for use as a trawler, the A.E. Clifford sits beneath the Blatnik Bridge in Superior in 2007. (Photo by Tim Powell.)