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.
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co.’s most successful submarine during the Second World War – the USS Rasher
December 2, 2020By James Heinz The highest scoring submarine made in Wisconsin during World War II was the USS Rasher, named after a vermilion rockfish found along the California coast. Of the twenty-eight submarines made by the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., the Rasher ranked first with the highest tonnage of ships sunk during…Read more
U.S. Navy to name new Columbia Class submarine after state of Wisconsin
November 21, 2020By James Heinz The U.S. Navy will name a Columbia Class submarine the U.S.S. WISCONSIN with a hull number of SSBN-827. The last Navy vessel to bear the same name (hull number BB 64) served in every major U.S. conflict after it was launched in 1944 until it was decommissioned…Read more
Lighthouse Keeper: The amazing life and times of Georgia Green Stebbins
November 2, 2020By Ken and Barb Wardius Only a few women possessed the title of head lighthouse keeper on the Great Lakes. The vast majority of keepers were men. Occasionally a woman, usually the spouse, would hold a position as an assistant lighthouse keeper. Many times though the federal government did not…Read more
Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. built 28 submarines for World War II combat; 3 were lost in action
October 26, 2020Second in a Series By James Heinz Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co., known mainly for building steel ferries, ore haulers, and self-propelled fuel barges, constructed twenty-eight submarines during World War II. Previously, Manitowoc had never built one. Founded in 1902, the company was located on the western shore of Lake Michigan at…Read more
Sailbirding: a new way to enjoy, count and photograph birds along Milwaukee’s Lake Michigan breakwater and shoreline
October 19, 2020By Carl Eisenberg Birdwatching from a sailboat was launched in the late summer of 2018 by several Milwaukee area birders and sailors. We called it “sailbirding.” The word wasn’t in the dictionary, and as far as we knew it was a novel and practical way of observing birds. Sailbirding is…Read more
The long journey of a WWI-era oceangoing salvage tug to an honored place at the Door County Maritime Museum
October 12, 2020By Tom Wenstadt The JOHN PURVES tug was built for the U.S. Shipping Board in 1919 at Bethlehem Shipbuilding in Elizabeth, NJ, as the BUTTERFIELD. It was 149 feet long, 28 feet wide, 15 feet deep and measured 436 gross tons. It was powered by an 850 horsepower, triple expansion…Read more
Wisconsin shipbuilder’s Navy-commissioned submarines battled in World War II Pacific Theater
October 5, 2020First in a series By James Heinz As Hitler ravaged Europe, and blitzed London, the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Co. prepared to build the first of twenty-eight submarines destined for combat in the Pacific. On this seventy-fifth anniversary of the end of World War II, the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society starts a…Read more
Great Lakes’ record-breaking levels may have peaked; now declining but still dangerous as autumn storms approach
September 28, 2020By Dan Patrinos Living on the nineteenth floor of a high-rise on a Lake Michigan bluff is the perfect perch to view the lake’s range of emotions. With a sweep of perhaps thirty miles, I’ve seen both ends of rainbows, placid blue water change from jade green to pewter gray,…Read more
WMHS president highlights successes, struggles leading a nonprofit historical society
September 18, 2020By Carl Eisenberg After years of loving sailing and learning to respect the water, in 1984 I joined the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society to support its efforts. After years of attending WMHS social functions, in 2009, just after I retired, I started volunteering, and in 2016became the Society’s president. I…Read more
Every major town along Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan coastline has at least one lighthouse
September 11, 2020Last in a SeriesWisconsin’s Lake Michigan Coastline By Ken and Barb Wardius In its long and storied maritime history, Wisconsin shorelines have been graced by forty-eight lighthouses. From Lake Superior to Lake Michigan and inland Lake Winnebago, lighthouses are an integral part of our heritage. No symbol is more synonymous with…Read more
Most visited beacon in Wisconsin, Cana Island Lighthouse played a crucial role in Door County’s nautical history
September 8, 2020Fourth in a SeriesCana Island Lighthouse, Door County By Ken and Barb Wardius In its long and storied maritime history, Wisconsin shorelines have been graced by forty-eight lighthouses. From Lake Superior to Lake Michigan and inland Lake Winnebago, lighthouses are an integral part of our heritage. No symbol is more synonymous…Read more
Restored Grassy Island Range Lights gave safe passage on busy Bay of Green Bay
August 28, 2020Third in a SeriesGrassy Island Range Lights, Bay of Green Bay By Ken and Barb Wardius In its long and storied maritime history, Wisconsin shorelines have been graced by forty-eight lighthouses. From Lake Superior to Lake Michigan and inland Lake Winnebago, lighthouses are an integral part of our heritage. No…Read more
