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.
A SOUTH SEAS ADVENTURE THAT ENDS IN LAKE ERIE
August 23, 2026By James Heinz On July 21, 1831, the whaleship MENTOR under the command of 31 year old Edward Barnard left New Bedford, Mass., with a crew of 21. Just before midnight on May 21, 1832, in the middle of a storm, the MENTOR struck a reef at the northern end…Read more
The wooden propeller ASIA was launched
August 19, 2026On this day August 19, 1873, the wooden propeller ASIA was launched at the shipyard of Melancthon Simpson. Her cost was reported to be $35,000 and was capable of carrying 16,000 bushels of grain. She measured 126 feet in length, 23 feet in beam and a draft of 11…Read more
A LEGENDARY UNDERSEA EXPLORER REVEALED
August 18, 2026By James Heinz For anyone who was ever a diver in Milwaukee or southeast Wisconsin, Max Gene Nohl was a legendary figure, like an underwater Odysseus. Oral tales of his extraordinary adventures circulated amongst us. He once held the world record for the deepest dive, was a pioneer in the…Read more
History in the Welland Canal
August 17, 2026WMHS member Richard Gebhart recently sent author Jim Heinz some of his photos after the story of the Odyssey was posted. Richard is an author who was awarded this year the Richard J. Wright award for his Frank E. Kirby book. Enjoy the photos and an excerpt from his story.…Read more
Long Ships Passing – Gassing Up
August 16, 2026By Chris Winters Gassing up the “Queen of the Lakes,” PAUL R. TREGURTHA at Superior, Wisconsin, March 2013. Interlake’s flagship the PAUL R. TREGURTHA was built in 1981 at Lorain, Ohio by the American Ship Building Company as the WILLIAM J. DeLANCEY. She was nicknamed Fancy DeLancey because of her…Read more
THE SHIP IN THE ODYSSEY MOVIE ONCE SAILED THE GREAT LAKES
August 14, 2026By James Heinz The ship used in this summer’s blockbuster Christopher Nolan movie “The Odyssey” once sailed the Great Lakes. An August 14, 2022, WMHS blog posting https://wmhs.org/when-a-viking-ship-sailed-the-great-lakes/ contained information about a replica Viking ship that came to Chicago for the Columbian Exposition in 1893 and then stayed, becoming a…Read more
WHEN ABRAHAM LINCOLN BOTH DID AND DID NOT COME TO MILWAUKEE ON A SHIP
August 9, 2026By James Heinz Most historians believe that Abraham Lincoln came to the state of Wisconsin twice in his lifetime. The first was in 1832, when he was the captain of an Illinois militia company during the Black Hawk War, where, as he said, he did not fight anything except mosquitos.…Read more
Milwaukee launches the WILLIAM H. WOLF
August 7, 2026On this day August 6, 1887, the wooden steamer WILLIAM H. WOLF was launched at Milwaukee’s Wolf & Davidson Shipyard. She was built for the Wolf & Davidson Steamship Company which was incorporated 3 weeks after she hit the water. The WOLF measured 285 feet in length, 42.3 feet…Read more
A SHIP FROM A MOST UNUSUAL PLACE
August 2, 2026By James Heinz I have been observing ships from the Great Lakes and other places for over 50 years. Recently at Milwaukee’s Jones Island I saw a ship from a place that I had never seen before on the Great Lakes. On July 14, 2026, I was passing Jones Island…Read more
THE REAL STORY OF THE SCHOONER CHALLENGE
July 31, 2026By James Heinz In a previous story I told of how Milwaukee’s Discovery World was built around a replica of the schooner CHALLENGE. This is the story of the real CHALLENGE. Discovery World’s choice of the CHALLENGE was an appropriate one. In his book SCHOONER PASSAGES: SAILING SHIPS AND THE…Read more
Long Ships Passing – Oil Flow Check
July 27, 2026By Chris Winters An assistant engineer checks the oil flow on one of the EDWARD L. RYERSON’s tail shaft bearings, while upbound on Lake Superior, November 2006. The EDWARD L. RYERSON was built in 1960 at Manitowoc, Wisconsin, by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. for Inland Steel. She measured 730 x…Read more
BUILDING A SHIP THAT WILL NEVER SAIL
July 25, 2026By James Heinz The Discovery World museum on Milwaukee’s lakefront once had its own floating replica of a Great Lakes schooner. Launched in 2000, the ship was named the DENIS SULLIVAN after the longest serving captain on the Great Lakes. In 2022, the DENIS SULLIVAN was sold to a marine…Read more
