This one is a tribute to two ships, the Skonnertbrigg Sleipner and Jakt Skjoldmøen. The vehicles are remembered because they helped turn Chicago into a trans-Atlantic port of sorts. Here's the translation of the monument:
"These Vessels Sailed Direct to Chicago and Opened up European Oceanic Traffic. Brigantine Sleipner 150 Registry Tons departed May 23, 1862 with Emigrants and Load. Hunting Skjoldmøen 55 Register Tons with 6 Males and Load 12 April 1863. First Vessels Direct from Europe to Chicago. This Memorial Erected in 1963."
On the 1862 trip, the Sleipner carried 200 barrels of fish and 108 emigrants to North America. After a stop in Quebec, 40 got off in Detroit and the others went on to Chicago. There the people on the boat were welcomed with great fanfare, as national anthems were sung and cannons boomed.
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