By Richard Epps
Michigan State University Press
Richard Gebhart’s voyage as an author has reached a new level of excellence.
Gebhart has been awarded the 2026 Richard J. Wright Publication Award for his book The Great Lakes Ships of Frank E. Kirby: America’s Greatest Naval Architect. The book was recognized by the Association for Great Lakes Maritime History on Monday, Sept. 12 at an award ceremony in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
“To get this award, it is like an Oscar, Grammy or Emmy to me,” Gebhart said. “It is a tremendous award and to be honored in (Wright’s) name, this is the crowning achievement of my life.”
Gebhart’s journey to chronicling Great Lakes maritime history started as a child, when he was influenced by his Uncle Archie, who was a lifelong sailor.
“He was a real character. I was regaled by his stories as a young boy,” Gebhart said. “My dad sailed for a couple years too, and when they would get together and sit down with a home brew, those are the stories I grew up with. Archie sailed all his life on fantastic historic vessels. I remember those stories so well.”
Gebhart grew up in Muskegon and Muskegon Heights. The Milwaukee Clipper was once one of the most recognizable passenger steamships on the Great Lakes. It launched in 1904 and eventually traveled through Muskegon, where Gebhart got to set foot on it during its last year of operation in 1971. That experience helped spark Gebhart’s interest in Great Lakes shipping history.
Gebhart is an authority in Great Lakes shipping history. He served as director of the White River Light Station lighthouse museum from 1975 to 1980.
After moving to Denver, Colorado in 1980, Gebhart returned to Michigan in 1994, settling down in Cottrellville Township, which is located between Marine City and Algonac. “I live one house away from the St. Clair River, which is heaven for me. I get to see ships come in all day long. It is a wonderful place.”
Gebhart has also written articles of historical interest and essays for journals and newsletters of Great Lakes historical societies. That stoked his interest in trying his hand at writing a book.
“I was so sure the first book would be rejected that I just wrote a short two-sentence paragraph to MSU Press saying I have these stories, and would you be interested?” Gebhart said. “Much to my surprise, I got a response back the next day that they wanted to look at sample chapters, and that is what got the whole thing running.”
Gebhart has written three other books: The Detroit River: Stories of Development and Industrialization, 1874-1912; Tragedy and Triumph on the Great Lakes; and Ships and Shipwrecks: Stories from the Great Lakes, all with MSU Press. During the research for those books, the name Frank Kirby kept coming up.
“I decided I was going to pick up the gauntlet because I thought this guy’s story is amazing,” Gebhart said. “There was a void there and I decided this guy was too remarkable to not write about.”
After receiving encouragement from Jay Bascom, editor of the Toronto Marine Historical Society’s Scanner publication, he charted a path for the book.
As Gebhart started the research work for the book, Frank Kirby’s great grandson, Nick Kirby, reached out to him. Nick Kirby traveled from Chicago to visit Gebhart and shared endless documents and heirlooms.
Nick Kirby brought his great grandmother’s documents with background information, which allowed Gebhart to go beyond what could be found in public records.
“He shared personal information. There are handwritten letters quoted in the book,” Gebhart said. “Meeting Nick was a great boon to the book.”
Gebhart’s research process took him to the Burton Historical Collection in the Detroit Public Library, which he called the greatest repository of Great Lakes maritime history.
“There were journals so old I was afraid to touch them because some just crumbled under your finger. I opened one scrapbook, and it was just a snake’s den of brittle newspaper articles,” Gebhart said. “They have carbon copies of letters written by Kirby. There was a real treasure of archives at Burton. They were so fragile. It really gave me pause. I don’t know how long it’s been since someone has looked at those documents.”
The SS Ste. Claire, designed by Frank Kirby and launched in 1910, also captured Gebhart’s fascination. The iconic ship took passengers from Detroit to Boblo Island from the early 1900s until 1991. The ship, now owned by Ron Kattoo, was re-opened as a ship museum two weeks ago, eight years after the ship caught fire while docked on the Detroit River.
Gebhart hopes people will be mindful of the SS Ste. Claire and visit the newly opened floating museum in Detroit.
“Any money that can be raised to help finance or spark interest in preserving these Kirby boats will help,” Gebhart said. “There is never enough money to keep these ships going and prospering. Keeping their spirit alive would be the greatest legacy of this book. It would be fantastic.”
Gebhart also hopes people realize what a fantastic ship builder Kirby was, and how connected Kirby was to influential figures that helped define the early days of Detroit. Gebhart singled out James McMillan and John Stoughton Newberry, who were Detroit power brokers and helped fund Kirby’s early work. Gebhart hopes readers will enjoy stories about who he calls the underexposed characters in Detroit.
Gebhart credits the support of Mark Schumaker, a historian, researcher and writer who helped Gebhart explore the book’s possibilities. “He was a guiding force in helping me get to the point to win this award. He opened pathways and provided encouragement.”
Gebhart’s work was praised by Carl Eisenberg, president of the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
“There are numerous, very detailed stories in this well-researched book,” Eisenberg said. “Many chapters contain quotes meticulously obtained from microfilmed contemporary newspapers that add fascinating depth to these stories about ships, tragedies and people. The reader will often feel transported in time of the events as they took place.”
Fans of Gebhart’s work only need to wait until next spring to read more. His next literary voyage is a new book about the history of the Detroit River, which will be another MSU Press production.
The upcoming book has a hard act to follow after the excitement of the Richard J. Wright Publication Award.
Gebhart said winning the award in Thunder Bay was truly spectacular. “I am still trying to get myself settled back down to Earth after that incredible experience.”