The SS Badger is Literally a Floating Historic Landmark Since 1953, the ferry has been sailing Lake Michigan, shipping passengers, freight and automobiles from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. It's a one-of-a-kind. The SS Badger is "an icon of car ferry heritage on the Great Lakes." It is also the last remaining large coal-burning steamship not only on the Great Lakes, but in the entire United States. It's own Wikipedia entry also notes, the "SS Badger is also unusual in that it is a registered historical site in two states. The Michigan Historical Commission and the Wisconsin Historical commission each named Badger as a registered historical site in 1997."