by Jerry at Duluth » September 1, 2017, 9:48 am
Bill, I enjoyed your post but there is one correction needed. The pilots were started by Bob Baker and Ted Svenson in 1959 and the first pilot that they hired was Tony Rico. A few years later, the
Coast Guard, with the help of Rico, took over the pilots and Baker and Svenson received nothing for their efforts or expenses. The Upper Lakes Pilots was founded and led by Rico and he was guided by Jack Chestnut, a Minneapolis lawyer, who took the fall for the Humphrey Campaign when they got in trouble over some election fund raising issues. He went to jail for a lot of important people and because of this, he had the ability to do a lot of creative expansions and new companies that were owned and operated by the Pilots. This resulted in charges and fees that far exceeded the pilotage and as you stated, it got so bad that it finally came under investigation and the association was ended and a new group was started. Those early days of the Seaway were much like the old west. The rules had not been written and the opportunity for creation and expansion of businesses and operations, was unlimited. They were really exciting days and I am very glad to have been a part of it.
Bill, I enjoyed your post but there is one correction needed. The pilots were started by Bob Baker and Ted Svenson in 1959 and the first pilot that they hired was Tony Rico. A few years later, the
Coast Guard, with the help of Rico, took over the pilots and Baker and Svenson received nothing for their efforts or expenses. The Upper Lakes Pilots was founded and led by Rico and he was guided by Jack Chestnut, a Minneapolis lawyer, who took the fall for the Humphrey Campaign when they got in trouble over some election fund raising issues. He went to jail for a lot of important people and because of this, he had the ability to do a lot of creative expansions and new companies that were owned and operated by the Pilots. This resulted in charges and fees that far exceeded the pilotage and as you stated, it got so bad that it finally came under investigation and the association was ended and a new group was started. Those early days of the Seaway were much like the old west. The rules had not been written and the opportunity for creation and expansion of businesses and operations, was unlimited. They were really exciting days and I am very glad to have been a part of it.