Edna G. Tugboat

One of the Edna's last tows.

The Edna G. was built in 1896 by the Cleveland Ship Building Company. She was named after Edna Greatsinger, daughter of Jacob Greatsinger, then president of the D & IR Railroad . Her one thousand horsepower engine used twenty-five tons of coal a week. She is 110 feet long and has a 23-foot beam.
The Edna G. has seen continuous service at Two Harbors until her retirement, except when she was seized by the U.S. government and sent to the east coast during WWI. There she guided naval vessels and hauled supplies.

In 1974, the Edna G. was designated a National Historic Site, as the only steam powered tug operating on the Great Lakes. She was donated to the City of Two Harbors after her retirement in 1981.
During the Bicentennial, a one-mile race was held between the Edna G, a Coast Guard cutter and a diesel-powered tug. She defeated them easily. After the race, Captain Adolph Ojard commented, “Now when Edna retires, she can go with dignity”.