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.
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?
September 27, 2025By James Heinz Recently WMHS member Captain Greg Stamatelakys sent us a photo of the World War II submarine USS COBIA undergoing overhaul in drydock in Sturgeon Bay, Wis. The other unusual sight in the photo is the pale green object with two people in it that is floating in…Read more
Milwaukee’s OUR SON founders
September 26, 2025On this day September 26, 1930, Milwaukee’s OUR SON foundered in a gale and sunk about 20 miles off of Sheboygan, Wis. The Lake Carriers Association said she was the last active sailing vessel to ride the upper lakes. A three-masted schooner, the OUR SON was built in…Read more
On this day the Goodrich Steamer SHEBOYGAN was cremated
September 25, 2025On this day September 25, 1914, the steamer SHEBOYGAN, the first boat built for Goodrich, was cremated. The SHEBOYGAN was built by Greenleaf S. Rand at Manitowoc, just southeast of the 8th Street Bridge, in 1869 for the Goodrich Transit Co. The wooden steam paddle measured 208 feet…Read more
A LIGHTHOUSE TOUR ON NATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE DAY
September 23, 2025By James Heinz August 7th is National Lighthouse Day because on August 7, 1789, Congress passed an act providing for federal support for lighthouses, buoys, and other aids to navigation. On Lighthouse Day 2025, I took a boat tour around the Chicago Harbor lighthouse. But first, a brief history of…Read more
A DIVE TO COMMEMORATE THE LAKELAND
September 22, 2025By James Heinz In my previous article about the suspicious sinking of the steamer LAKELAND on December 3, 1924, I mentioned that the Lake Michigan Classic Diving Organization would be conducting a commemoration dive for the LAKELAND using classic hard hat and hose diving gear. And, on August 16, 2025,…Read more
COBIA in drydock
September 21, 2025A great photo from Greg Stamatelakys of the COBIA in Fincantieri's drydock. AND yes, that is an amphicar!Read more
Heavy Seas took the ALEX NIMICK
September 21, 2025On this day September 21, 1907, while heavily laden with coal and about 13 miles west of Whitefish Point, the ALEX NIMICK’s steering gear became disabled during a rough storm with heavy seas. She was unmanageable and forced by the storm toward land striking near Pictured Rocks. Steward Thomas…Read more
The OCONTO was blamed for burning Green Bay
September 20, 2025On this day September 20, 1880, the OCONTO was blamed for the burning of 60 dwellings and at least 30 barns in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The wooden steamer OCONTO was built in 1872 at Manitowoc by G. S. Rand for the Goodrich Transit Co. She measured 143 feet in…Read more
Sheboygan launches her largest ship ever built – the HELENA
September 19, 2025On this day July 28, 1888, Sheboygan, Wisconsin, launched her largest ship ever built – the steambarge HELENA. (Originally posted July 28, 2025) HELENA being built at Sheboygan, Wisconsin Photo at top of page: Painting of the launch of the HELENA by Plymouth artist Dan Ruzzi. Photo by…Read more
The Abandoned Piers of Lake Michigan III
September 19, 2025By James Heinz This is the final of this series about the abandoned piers at the bottom of Lake Michigan. The two previous stories were about piers built by American settlers north of Rawley Point that were later destroyed by winter storms. This story shows the remains of a pier…Read more
You may have noticed the VEZHEN
September 18, 2025Our Milwaukee area correspondent, Bruce Nason, captured these photos of the Motor Vessel VEZHEN entering Milwaukee’s harbor after anchoring out for several days. The VEZHEN is 'flagged' from Malta but is owned by Navibulgar Shipping, the largest Bulgarian shipping company with a fleet of 45 bulk carriers, 9 container vessels, 5…Read more
The Abandoned Piers of Lake Michigan II
September 17, 2025By James Heinz Here is the second of my series of the remains of the piers built out into Lake Michigan by American settlers so that they could export their crops and import their necessities. Lake Michigan’s winter storms usually wrecked these piers within a couple of years, but their…Read more
