The new ferry name is a departure from the names of the Ferry Line’s other ferries. MADONNA is a unique, feminine name, but it also comes with historical and cultural ties to an Island schooner of the same name, owned and sailed by Norwegian immigrant Ole Christiansen. Christiansen transported Island lumber products to ports along the Lake Michigan shoreline like Milwaukee. In 1871, the Aylward shipyard of Milwaukee was the MADONNA’s builder, and Christiansen became the schooner’s second owner in late 1894. The last year Christiansen sailed the MADONNA was 1914, after which she was abandoned in the shallow mud of Detroit Harbor. The new MADONNA will contribute to regular and dependable ferry service for Island residents and travelers. Visit www.wisferry.com for more info on 2020 ferry service between Washington and Rock Islands. — Richard Purinton
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