Introduction: steam navigation on the Great Lakes -- Steam navigation from 1817 to 1860 -- Harnessing steam -- Early years on the lakes -- Opening the frontier -- Birth of an industry -- Regional development -- Maritime politics -- The palace steamer era -- Steam navigation from 1860 to 1900 -- The Civil War years -- New era, new business models -- Changing tastes and technologies -- Steam navigation in the twentieth century -- A new century brings change -- The lake cruising experience -- Sailing into a head wind -- Conclusion: the final years.