Our Blog
Wisconsin Marine Historical Society is a self-supported nonprofit organization committed to collecting, preserving, archiving, and sharing materials that illuminate the rich heritage of the Great Lakes maritime industry. Check out our blog to dive deep into the fascinating narratives and events that have shaped the Great Lakes maritime legacy. Search our blog index to find your favorite stories.
Long Ships Passing – Long Shipper
November 13, 2026By Chris Winters CAMERON O. prepares to hook a tow lead from the EDGAR B. SPEER as the tug assists the "footer" into the graving dock at Fincanteri Bay Shipbuilding, March, 2014. The CAMERON O. was built by Peterson Builders of Sturgeon Bay in 1969 as the ESCORT II. She was a yard tug for…Read more
THIS VETERANS DAY REMEMBER THE MAN WHO SAVED THE U-505
November 11, 2026By James Heinz The World War II German U-boat U-505 was brought to Chicago in 1954 after its capture on the high seas in 1944. But before it could be captured, it had to be saved from the sinking condition in which its German crew had left it. That man…Read more
ALL THAT REMAINS IS THE FACES AND THE NAMES
November 10, 2026By James Heinz November 10, 2026, is the 51st anniversary of the sinking of the SS EDMUND FITZGERALD. Most of the stories about her concentrate on why she sank. But this story is to commemorate the human story, the story of the 29 men who went down with her. These…Read more
WHEN NEIL ARMSTRONG AND THOMAS JEFFERSON SAILED THE GREAT LAKES
November 9, 2026By James Heinz Actually, Thomas Jefferson has already been here and Neil Armstrong has just arrived as I write this. I am not referring to those two famous men. Instead, I am referring to two research vessels operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). NOAAS (NOAA Ship) THOMAS…Read more
The CHESTER A. CONGDON breaks in two
November 8, 2026On this day November 8, 1918, the CHESTER A. CONGDON broke in two after going ashore on Canoe Rocks near Passage Island. The CONGDON actually ran ashore on the 6th but the story appeared on page 10 as the front page was full of headlines devoted to the ending…Read more
A GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK THAT SANK A GERMAN U-BOAT IN LAKE MICHIGAN
November 1, 2026By James Heinz In a previous article entitled “The Great Lakes Shipwreck Whose Ghosts Haunted Oprah Winfrey”, I told the tale of the EASTLAND, whose capsizing in the Chicago River in 1915 killed over 800 people in the worst disaster in the history of the Great Lakes. At the end…Read more
The SILVERSIDES heads home
October 31, 2026Tom Wenstadt, our Door County correspondent, reports that the USS SILVERSIDES (SS-236), after completing a major overhaul (a $3.5 million preservation project), departed the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding yard, yesterday afternoon, October 30th. Two tugs towed the submarine through Sturgeon Bay’s three bridges, then through the Sturgeon Bay ship canal into…Read more
THE GREAT LAKES SHIP WHOSE GHOSTS HAUNTED OPRAH WINFREY
October 31, 2026By James Heinz The steamer EASTLAND was launched in 1902 at Port Huron, Mich. Later odifications made her top heavy. She was originally allowed to carry 3,000 passengers, but after a 1904 incident where she tipped so badly that fire hoses had to be used to control her passengers, her…Read more
Long Ships Passing – Ghost Ship
October 29, 2026By Chris Winters The ST. MARY’S CHALLENGER passes the Ghost Ship C.T.C. No. 1, moored in long-term lay-up status on Lake Calumet, South Chicago, October 2005. The C. T. C. NO. 1, which stands for Cement Transit Company, is an abandoned ghost ship docked in Chicago. Built in…Read more
a tale of shipwreck, a life like Robinson Crusoe
October 23, 2026On this day October 23, 1929, the steel steamer CHICAGO of the Great Lakes Transit Corp. fleet stranded in a raging gale on Michipicoten Island in Lake Superior about eighty miles northwest of Whitefish Point. Sailing from Duluth to Buffalo with a cargo of flour, she crashed full on…Read more
The AUSTRALASIA burns off Baileys Harbor
October 17, 2026On this day October 17, 1896, the steamer AUSTRALASIA caught fire near Baileys Harbor. The crew tried desperately to contain the fire but ended up scuttling her in 15 feet of water near what is now Whitefish Dunes State Park. Lifesavers from Baileys Harbor reached her soon after she…Read more
On this day the ALPENA went missing
October 16, 2026On this day October 16, 1880, Goodrich’s wooden paddle steamer ALPENA was lost with all on board. The number of lost varies as the company did not keep a copy of the passengers on board. As I have said in many of my programs, it was much like riding…Read more
