Martin Johnson, the rafting Superintendent is rapidly becoming an old timer in these parts, having been a resident at the Pic since the fall of 1933, at which time the area was operated by the Pigeon Timber Co. In 1937 the General Timber took over the big Pic River limits. This company was controlled by Bert Stewart and Al Johnson. Martin Johnson remained at the Mouth of the Pic under the new management. In 1943 the General Timber was taken over by the Marathon Paper Mills of Canada Limited. Again Martin sat tight and remained with his first love, the Mouth of the Pic Rafting Camp. Today Martin Johnson is the rafting superintendent. He is responsible for all wood that is river-driven down to the Pic holding ground. It becomes Martin's headache to deliver the wood to the Mill Pond or Munroe's Bay, as required.

It is hard to imagine when one looks out of the rafting camp office window, that in a few days time thousands of cords will be passing in view to be boomed into a raft, then towed out into Lake Superior, hence to the Mill Pond at Marathon by the good ship, "she", tug Peninsula. Upon being questioned as to how many thousand cords had passed in view of his office, Martin Johnson thought for a moment and replied, "Oh, well over three quarters of a million cords."

During the rafting season there are around 30 men in camp and there will be three small tugs working in and around the Mouth of the Pic and also up the Pic River. "The Handy Andy," powered by the 90 h.p. diesel marine motor, the "Ella H," 60 h.p, diesel marine job and the "M.P.M," 55 diesel h.p. These tugs do all the making of rafts at the Mouth of the Pic which when completed will be towed by the Peninsula to the Mill Pond or storage ground at Port Munroe.

Indians from the Mission: During the winter months the Indians from the Mission, about two miles from the rafting camp, cut cordwood and land it on the frozen waters of the Pic River. All these operations are supervised by Martin Johnson. During the summer months, Martin keeps six or seven of the Indians from the Mission occupied at lining booms or working as general labourers around the camp. The Indians have a lot of faith in the company and Martin, which is exemplified by the way the Indians thumb a ride on the Momma Army Jeep as it brings in the supplies, mail, etc., from Heron Bay. The campsite is located on one of the oldest Indian Trading Posts on the north shore of Lake Superior, dating back to the days of acute rivalry of the Hudson's Bay Company and the Northwest Fur Trading Company.

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Martin E. Johnson in Pulpwood Harbour. Photo courtesy the Olafsons. Randall Michano comments (May 2014): "Pulpwood Harbor. They used to store towing booms there for the big rafts going to the Marathon mill from the Pic River."

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1982, working on the mouth of the Pic River. Photos courtesy of Frank Moses.

 

c. 1984, working as part of the James River Corp. / Marathon Corp. fleet. Photo courtesy of Gord Campbell.

 

Photo courtesy of Marathon & District Historical Society. Gord Campbell comments (April 20, 2020): "Best ship in the American Can Fleet." Scotty Purvis adds "Last year I towed the 12,000 ton barge PML Iron Master (420 feet long) out to Anchorage with her. It was a little slow but she did just fine, on her original engine against the current of the upper St. Marie river. No one would believe it, but she did it. The abuse and punishment that tug has taken, and she keeps on floating and towing and breaking ice like a tug 3 times her size. Hats off to the boys that built her!"

 

Marathon, Aug. 22. Leigh Cossey notes (Dec. 10, 2017): "Polygon and Martin E. Johnson bring
the last log booms into Marathon. Clipping from Stan Johnson's Home Towners group."

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Photo from above image.

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Martin E. Johnson, Soo Great Tugboat Race 1987. Courtesy Jeannette Cox.

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Sault Ste. Marie, ON, March 1993. Photo by Capt. G. I. Buck Longhurst, courtesy Rene Beauchamp.

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2003 Great Tugboat Race, Sault Ste. Marie, ON.
Photo by by Roger LeLievre and N. Schultheiss.
http://www.boatnerd.com/pictures/special/sootugrace03/

 

2003 Great Tugboat Race programme courtesy Jeanette Cox. "The Martin E. Johnson was built at Owen Sound, Ontario by Russel Hipwell Ltd., for American Can of Canada Ltd. of Marathon. She was used for rafting on Lake Superior until 1984 when she was purchased by Purvis Marine Ltd. and moved to Sault Ste. Marie. She is now used to break ice and move scows on the St. Mary's River."

 

Soo, ON July 2, 2004. Photo by Rob Farrow.

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Martin E. Johnson - (Soo, ON July 2, 2004)

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2004 Great Tug Boat Race in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Photo by Daniel Sauve.

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Photos from the Soo Great Tug Race.
http://www.ssm.thegreattugboatrace.ca/Pictures.html

 

Photo courtesy the Marathon & District Historical Society.

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Martin E Johnson
Photo by Mike Nicholls, boatnerd.com.

 

Soo Tug Race 2008
Photos by Norm Meneray, Dan Mckay and Ted Vince.

 

2009 Sault Ste. Marie Great Tug Race.
http://www.ssm.thegreattugboatrace.ca/Pictures.html

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Joel Dinda photo taken on June 20, 2011. Tug Martin E. Johnson. At Essar Steel Algoma, in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jowo/17830650326

Joel Dinda photo taken on June 20, 2011. Tug Martin E. Johnson. At Essar Steel Algoma, in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jowo/5969977690

 

Regan and Martin E. Johnson
Alan Johnson comments (Dec. 14, 2017): "THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN IN 2010 DURING THE ANNUAL TUGBOAT PARADE HELD AT THE SOO , SPONSORED IN LARGE PART BY PURVIS MARINE WHO BOUGHT THE TUG MARTIN E. JOHNSON FROM AMERICAN CAN IN 1984. THE TUG WAS BUILT IN 1959 AND NAMED THE MARTIN E JOHNSON IN MEMORY OF MY FATHER WHO DIED IN 1955. AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH , HE WAS MARINE SUPERINTENDENT FOR MARATHON PAPER. THE TUG REMAINS FULLY OPERATIONAL AND PART OF THE PURVIS FLEET. THIS PICTURE IS PART OF THE ANNUAL SOO TUG BOAT RACE/PARADE. THE "PM" ON THE STACK OF THE MARTIN E JOHNSON STANDS FOR PURVIS MARINE WHO ARE THE CURRENT OWNERS."

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Clipping courtesy Gerry Ouderkirk