(Continued from Steamers of Lake Memphremagog, Part 2)
The last of the old-style commercial steamers on Lake Memphremagog was the Anthemis, which was launched in 1909. Considerably smaller than the Lady of the Lake, the 30-metre (100-foot) steamer was propeller-driven (as opposed to paddle wheel) and could carry up to 300 passengers. She operated until the 1950s.
For a few years, both the Anthemis and the Lady of the Lake ran between Magog and Newport, Vermont. Unlike the Lady, however, the Anthemis stopped on demand at some of the larger private wharfs –according to the instructions of owner E. G. Penny, of Georgeville.
At first, the Anthemis carried passengers as well as cargo. But with improvements to the local road system and the increasing use of automobiles and trucks, the need for boat transportation diminished. Towards the end of her career, the Anthemis operated increasingly as a tourist excursion boat.
To this day, the last of the Memphremagog steamers is fondly remembered by many seniors in the Townships.