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.
Edmund Fitzgerald, a man who left his hallmark on the Great Lakes
January 9, 2022By Dan Patrinos His grandfather and granduncles were ship captains on the Great Lakes. A two-football fields-long freighter, then known as the “Queen of the Lakes,” was named after him, and its sinking made his name an unbidden household word. He played a key role in planning the celebration opening…Read more
Icebreaker’s captain commands a unique, powerful ship
December 21, 2021By James Heinz The captain of the USCGC MACKINAW is a remarkable woman on a remarkable ship. Captain Kristen Serumgard commands a ship that, she says, has the fourth largest electric power plant in the state of Michigan, her home base. It’s unique among military vessels. I caught up with…Read more
The Christmas Tree Ship lives on in memory — and deed
December 18, 2021By James Heinz Although the ROUSE SIMMONS with its load of Christmas trees sank nearly 110 years ago, its memory has not been forgotten, nor has its mission to deliver firs to make the holiday merry. On the morning of December 4, I witnessed the modern day version of the…Read more
The car ferry MILWAUKEE is a Must Dive Destination
November 14, 2021By Cal Kothrade Since the wreck of the rail car ferry MILWAUKEE was found, it has been a mainstay of the Milwaukee diving community, a must dive destination for advanced and technical divers alike. Milwaukee area diver and shipwreck hunter Kent Bellrichard found the massive wreck quite by accident back…Read more
HOW I RELIVED MY YOUTH ON THE BOTTOM OF LAKE MICHIGAN
November 14, 2021By James Heinz I still remember that night. Apollo 11 was on the moon. I was 12 years old. On July 21, 1969, at 8:56 p.m., I was sitting in the living room with my parents in Milwaukee and watching a grainy black and white image, and heard those immortal…Read more
Launch of the M/V MARK W. BARKER
November 1, 2021By Tom Wenstadt The bulk carrier, M/V MARK W. BARKER, was launched Thursday, October 28, at the Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding yard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. It is the first U. S. flagged Great Lakes bulk carrier built since 1981. The vessel is 639 feet long, 78 feet wide, 45 feet…Read more
Rum Runners of Death’s Door
October 30, 2021By Jim Schwartz “Rum Runners Captured by Plum Island Coast Guard” was a headline in the May 22, 1930 issue of the Door County News. The May 16th Door County Advocate offered a much more dramatic and sensational headline “RUM RUNNER AND BIG CARGO SEIZED, Taken by Coast Guard at Plum…Read more
FOR WANT OF A SCREW THE SHIP WAS LOST
October 23, 2021By James Heinz There is an ancient proverb that we have all heard. One version of it goes like this: For want of a nail the shoe was lost. For want of a shoe the horse was lost. For want of a horse the rider was lost. For want of…Read more
Sometimes you win more than others but you’ll never win if you don’t dive
October 16, 2021By Cal Kothrade These photos are the fruits of two separate dives on the ST. ALBANS over the span of a couple years. The wreck sits about seven miles east of Milwaukee in approximately 165’ of water. On both occasions, I was blessed with excellent visibility, somewhere in the neighborhood…Read more
Plum Island is home to two ship wrecks –– the Grapeshot and the Resumption
October 1, 2021By Jim Schwartz Of the many islands that surround Door County, none may be more beautiful than Plum Island. This 325 acre island lies “plumb” in the middle of Death’s Door (hence its name) between Gills Rock and Washington Island. As part of the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge, it…Read more
Whitefish Dunes State Park features spectacular shipwreck displays
September 21, 2021By Carl Eisenberg There are spectacular shipwreck displays about two and one-half hours north of Milwaukee on the Lake Michigan side of Door County in the Whitefish Dunes State Park very near the parking lot, a picnic area, and the lakeshore. A State Park sticker is required to enter the…Read more
Manitowoc trip takes in FRANCIS HINTON shipwreck marker, and West of the Lake Gardens
September 4, 2021By Carl Eisenberg Manitowoc is an easy, hour-long ride north of Milwaukee, Wis., and just north of downtown Manitowoc is the Historic Shipwreck Marker for the Steam Barge FRANCIS HINTON. The marker is on display next to a rocky shoreline about one-half mile north of Waldo Blvd. on State Highway…Read more
