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.
1936 – The Building of South Shore Yacht Club
June 22, 2026(Part III of III) By John Dillon The early to mid-1930’s was an active time along the Bay View shoreline. The population of Milwaukee was already over 575,000 people, which is about 100 years after Elijah Estes first settled in the area. The new (current) bath house was built and…Read more
Bay View’s Filled in Breakwater
June 21, 2026(Part II of III) By John Dillon Following up with my last post regarding the development of Milwaukee’s Bay View Shoreline, the following posts shows the filling in of the first breakwater area that is now Cupertino Park, the parking lot, South Shore Yacht Club (SSYC) and the launching ramps. …Read more
Bay View’s First Breakwater
June 20, 2026(Part I of III) By John Dillon Having grown up in Milwaukee’s Bay View neighborhood on the corner of S. Shore Drive and Iron Street, playing in what is now Cupertino Park and growing up at the South Shore Yacht Club and then buying the Ren Estes house on the…Read more
Long Ships Passing – Unloading at Milwaukee
June 19, 2026By Chris Winters SOUTHDOWN CHALLENGER unloading a split load of Type I Portland cement under the light of Milwaukee’s inimitable "Polish Moon.” Kinnickinnic River terminal, November 2003. --------------------------------- The SOUTHDOWN CHALLENGER was built in 1906 at Ecorse, Mich., by the Great Lakes Engineering Works for the Shenango Steamship Company as…Read more
A LIGHTHOUSE WITHOUT A LIGHT
June 14, 2026By James Heinz The Superior Entry South Breakwater Light at Wisconsin Point in Lake Superior has been guiding mariners into the Duluth/Superior harbor since June 30, 1913. But on May 13, 2026, its vital mission was suddenly stopped for an unusual reason: Someone stole the light. The U.S. Coast Guard…Read more
ARTIFACTS FROM A LEGENDARY GREAT LAKES SHIPWRECK – Part I
June 12, 2026By James Heinz The MV PRINS WILLEM V is a famous shipwreck. The ship sank three miles east of the Milwaukee breakwater lighthouse on October 14, 1954, after striking the towing cable between an oil barge and a tugboat. Shortly thereafter legendary Milwaukee underwater explorer Max Gene Nohl tried to…Read more
Vessel movements in the Twin Ports
June 8, 2026Elmer Engman, our Duluth correspondent, reports that on Sunday, June 7th, there was some more vessel movement in the Twin Ports with the AMERICAN CENTURY loading a cargo of taconite at the CN ore docks. Last year I caught the AMERICAN INTEGRITY offloading her cargo into the AMERICAN CENTURY for…Read more
WMHS MEETS A WISCONSIN BROADCASTING LEGEND
June 8, 2026By James Heinz One of the first female TV journalists in the country was Wisconsin’s own Bunny Raasch, who began working as a weekend anchor at WISN TV in 1974, where she later worked as assistant news director, and then news director. She had previously worked as a producer, copywriter,…Read more
The GREAT REPUBLIC sails for Silver Bay
June 7, 2026Elmer Engman, our Duluth correspondent, reports that on Saturday, June 6th, they finally had a nice warm sunny day in the Twin Ports. The GREAT REPUBLIC was leaving the Duluth harbor after unloading a cargo of limestone in Superior, Wisconsin. She was then on her way to Silver Bay, Minnesota,…Read more
Long Ships Passing – Monster Garage
June 7, 2026By Chris Winters The former USS CHIWAWA now the LEE A. TREGURTHA receives new dual-fuel Bergen diesel engines, July, 2006. Interlake’s decorated WWII veteran became the first vessel on the Great Lakes with a fully automated engine room. The LEE A. TREGURTHA was launched on June 25, 1942 as…Read more
A SHIP IN MUSKEGON HARBOR PARTICIPATED IN D DAY
June 6, 2026By James Heinz The Navy called them Landing Ship, Tank or LST. Their crews said that LST stood for Large Slow Target or Large Stationary Target. One of them is a museum ship in Muskegon, Mich. Wikipedia tells us: “The design of the Landing Ship, Tank (LST) was born out…Read more
The last of the “Big Four” is launched
June 3, 2026On June 3, 1891, the wooden bulk carrier CITY OF LONDON was launched from James Davidson’s shipyard at West Bay City, Mich. She measured 297 feet in length, 41 feet in beam and 20.5 feet in depth. Photo at top of page: CITY OF LONDON at Sault Ste. Marie,…Read more
