On Aug. 4, 1929, a 20-passenger ferry, the Water Lily, began service from Copper Harbor to Isle Royale, and Michigan residents could, for the first time, travel to their great wilderness island in upper Lake Superior by boat directly from Michigan. Prior to the Michigan runs, all Isle Royale visitors traveled by boat from either Duluth, Minnesota, or Port Arthur, Ontario.
Source: Mich-Again’s Day