Dredging in harbor, 1926 or 1927

Dredging Photos

The steam dredge Col. D.D. Gaillard was built in 1916 and was in continuous service until 1981. Sometime in the 1930’s it was re-fitted with an oil fired boiler and upgraded to a 6 yard capacity. It was used in digging the channels to establish the St. Lawrence Seaway, and was a fixture on the upper Great Lakes. Its last use was in maintaining the shipping channels in the Duluth-Superior harbor. Its obsolete technology and large size finally made it impractical for continued use. The Gaillard made several trips to Grand Marais during its career.