Michigan State University Press is proud to announce that Richard Gebhart has been named the winner of the 2026 Richard J. Wright Publication Award. Awarded by the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History, The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby: America’s Greatest Naval Architect is the latest (but not the last!) of Richard Gebhart’s many publications through the MSU Press.
We at the Press wish Richard a warm and hearty congratulations! Learn more about The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby below, and be sure to check out Richard’s other books!
The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby
America’s Greatest Naval Architect
by Richard Gebhart
Published May 1, 2026
This study of the legendary Michigan shipbuilder Frank E. Kirby examines his life and the accomplishments that earned him national esteem and international fame. Kirby was involved in the design and build of nearly one hundred vessels, many of which sailed the Great Lakes region. He is best known for designing the paddle steamer Tashmoo and two boats that ferried visitors to Boblo Island in the Detroit River for decades, Columbia and Ste. Claire. Though only three of his vessels remain, none of them operational, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders who are still alive today have been carried by Kirby vessels. Told through stories found in the Detroit Free Press, historical archives, family documents, an interview conducted by his daughter-in-law Dorothy Clement Kirby in 1926, and keepsakes, Richard Gebhart brings to life the story of one of the most prolific Great Lakes shipbuilders of the time.
The Detroit River
Tragedy and Triumph on the Great Lakes
Ships and Shipwrecks
The MSU Press strives to continuously publish outstanding pieces of scholarship which contribute to the history and discussion of Great Lakes transportation. Check out some of our recently released titles below, as well as past publications!
| Title | Author | Price | Sale Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| When the River Burned | Joey Oliver | $29.95 | $20.97 |
| Wrecked | Thomas M Nelson with Jerald Podair | $29.95 | $20.97 |
| Michigan Railway Company | Norman L Krentel | $69.95 | $48.97 |
| Sail, Steam, and Diesel | Eric Hirsimaki | $79.95 | $53.17 |
| Title | Author | Price | Sale Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Missing | Kantar | $16.95 | $11.87 |
| Black November | Kantar | $16.95 | $11.87 |
| Deadly Voyage | Kantar | $22.80 | $15.96 |
| Fishing Line, The | Meints | $39.95 | $27.97 |
| Haywire, The | Hornstein | $34.95 | $24.47 |
| John H. Burdakin and the Grand Trunk Western Railroad | Sharp & Beier | $24.95 | $17.47 |
| John H. Burdakin: Railroader | Hofsommer | $29.95 | $20.97 |
| Michigan Railroad Lines, Volumes 1 & 2 | Meints | $150 | $105.00 |
| Michigan Railroads & Railroad Companies | Meints | $39.95 | $27.97 |
| Pere Marquette | Meints | $44.95 | $31.47 |
| Railroads for Michigan | Meints | $68.40 | $47.88 |
| Sailing into History | Boles | $39.95 | $27.97 |
| Sixty Years’ War for the Great Lakes | Skaggs & Nelson | $24.95 | $17.47 |
| Thirty-Year War, The | Lehto | $39.95 | $27.97 |
| Twelve Twenty-Five | Keefe | $49.95 | $34.97 |
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