Buckeye Booster Crane to Be Removed from Port of Cleveland, Marking the End of a Historic Era

For more than six decades, the Buckeye Booster stood as a fixture at the Port of Cleveland’s General Cargo Terminal, helping move some of the heaviest and most unusual cargo to pass through Cleveland.

Now, the massive heavy-lift crane is coming down, marking the end of an important chapter in the Port’s history.

With a lifting capacity of 150 tons, the Buckeye Booster was more than a piece of machinery. For generations of dockworkers, it was a source of work, a symbol of Cleveland’s capabilities as a Great Lakes port and, in many ways, part of the foundation upon which the modern Port of Cleveland was built.

“We were noted for that on the Great Lakes; we were the only port that had a heavy lift crane like that,” said Mr. Baker.

John D. Baker, president of Local 1317 of the International Longshoremen’s Association, has spent more than 60 years working and managing the docks. He remembers that getting the Buckeye Booster in place was not easy.

According to Baker, the City of Cleveland was gifted the heavy-duty crane but initially did not have the resources to erect it. The crane sat in railcars for more than a year before it was finally assembled and put into operation.

“The city was gifted this crane but wouldn’t erect it. Maybe they didn’t have the money at the time,” said Baker. “It was sitting in railcars for over a year. Finally, we got it erected. I don’t know what year it was, but let’s say ’63. It was up and running– But we were fighting, this is before the port authority was even formed.”

The timeline is significant.

The Port of Cleveland was established in January 1968 under then-Mayor Carl Stokes, more than a decade after the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway that transformed opportunities for Great Lakes shipping.

By the time the Port Authority was established, the Buckeye Booster was already helping Cleveland compete for cargo that required capabilities beyond those of a traditional dockside crane.

“We used that crane for those six or seven years,” he explained. “I think that was the engine for the port…the beginning of the Port.”

A Crane That Helped Build Cleveland’s Maritime Industry

The Buckeye Booster played a role in moving an impressive range of cargo throughout its years of service. Its work included military tanks bound for Germany, electrical infrastructure destined for what are now known as Put-in-Bay and Kelleys Island, and the transportation of the Benson Ford, among numerous other projects.

“It not only brought heavy lifts into the port, it brought other types of cargo. But it was mainly used at that time for exports. We did a lot of exports back in the 70s and 80s,” said Baker.

For the dockworkers who operated around the crane, its value went beyond the cargo it could lift.

The Buckeye Booster helped bring new business to Cleveland, creating opportunities for longshoremen and attracting work from across the Great Lakes region.

John Baker Jr., the son of John D. Baker, has also spent many years working at the docks. For him, watching the Buckeye Booster come down is personal.

“I hate to see it go it’s been a part of my life, my whole career,” said Baker Jr. “We used to get a lot of work from Erie and all over the place because of that crane–It generated work for us.”

The End of an Era

The Buckeye Booster completed its final project in 2018 and has remained idle at the General Cargo Terminal ever since. While the crane will no longer have a place at the Port, its legacy remains tied to the people, cargo and projects that helped shape Cleveland’s maritime industry.

Its removal also creates an opportunity for the Port to look toward the future while recognizing the significance of what came before. Port officials are exploring ways to preserve pieces of the Buckeye Booster and are considering options for the space that will become available following its removal.

For Baker and the generations of longshoremen who worked alongside it, the Buckeye Booster represents far more than an aging crane. It is a tangible reminder of a time when Cleveland was expanding its role in international and Great Lakes commerce and of the people whose work helped make that growth possible.

As the Buckeye Booster is carted away, the machinery may be leaving the Port, but its place in Cleveland’s maritime history will remain.

Click HERE to view more photos of the Buckeye Booster.