Lake Effect: Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes

SS Eastland: The Shipwreck That Should Have Been Impossible

On July 24, 1915, the SS Eastland rolled onto its side in the Chicago River while still tied to the dock. There was no storm, no collision, and no open water, yet 844 peo

The Edmund Fitzgerald - The Final Chapter: (Part 8 of 8)

In the final episode of our eight-part Edmund Fitzgerald series, we follow the story beyond the storm and beneath the surface of Lake Superior. Months after Fitzgerald d

The Ironton and the Yawl That Held a 125-Year Secret

In September 1894, the schooner barge Ironton was making its way north across Lake Huron when a routine tow suddenly began to unravel. A mechanical failure, rough seas, a

The Scotiadoc: The Deadly Collision on Lake Superior

On June 20, 1953, the Scotiadoc, a 49-year-old Great Lakes freighter loaded with wheat, pushed out onto Lake Superior as thick fog swallowed everything around her. Somewh

The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Story Behind Gordon Lightfoot’s Legendary Song (Part 7 of 8)

In Part 7 of our 8-part Edmund Fitzgerald series, Lake Effect takes a different turn as we dive into Gordon Lightfoot’s legendary song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

The SS Phoenix Disaster: Lake Michigan’s Deadly 1847 Steamship Tragedy

In November 1847, the steamship SS Phoenix was carrying hundreds of passengers west across the Great Lakes, including a large group of Dutch immigrants hoping to begin ne

The Rouse Simmons: The Christmas Tree Ship That Vanished on Lake Michigan

In November 1912, the aging schooner Rouse Simmons left Michigan’s Upper Peninsula carrying thousands of Christmas trees bound for Chicago. Captain Herman Schuenemann, kn

The Edmund Fitzgerald: Search and Rescue Attempt (Part 6 of 8)

When the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly vanished from radar and stopped answering radio calls on November 10, 1975, the men aboard the Arthur M. Anderson faced an agonizing d

The Margaret Olwill: The Ship One Man Refused to Board

In June 1899, the steam barge Margaret Olwill departed Kelleys Island carrying hundreds of tons of limestone toward Cleveland. Aboard were an experienced Great Lakes capt

The Edmund Fitzgerald: Final Hours and Disappearance (Part 5 of 8)

On November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald was damaged but still moving toward the shelter of Whitefish Bay. The Arthur M. Anderson followed behind as Captain Ernest M

The F.J. King: Lake Michigan’s Elusive Ghost Ship

In September 1886, the three-masted schooner F.J. King left Escanaba, Michigan, carrying 600 tons of iron ore toward Chicago. When a violent gale struck Lake Michigan nea

The Edmund Fitzgerald: The Final Voyage Begins (Part 4 of 8)

On November 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald departed Superior, Wisconsin, carrying 26,112 tons of taconite across Lake Superior. For Captain Ernest McSorley and his 28 cre

The Western Reserve: The Steel Freighter That Broke in Two on Lake Superior

In 1892, the Western Reserve was one of the proud new steel freighters of the Great Lakes — fast, modern, trusted, and built for the future. But on a late-summer voyage a

The Vanishing of Marquette & Bessemer No. 2: Lake Erie’s Ghost Ship

On December 7, 1909, the Marquette & Bessemer No. 2 left Conneaut, Ohio, bound for Port Stanley, Ontario, with a heavy load of railcars, a veteran captain, and a crew tha

The Edmund Fitzgerald Crew: The Men Behind the Legend (Part 3 of 8)

In Part 3 of this 8-part Lake Effect series, we turn away from the steel, cargo, engines, and weather reports of the Edmund Fitzgerald and focus on the people who made th

SS Milwaukee Shipwreck: Vanished in 1929

On October 22, 1929, the railroad car ferry SS Milwaukee left Milwaukee, Wisconsin, bound for Grand Haven, Michigan. She was part of a dangerous but essential Great Lakes

The G.P. Griffith: Lake Erie’s Forgotten 1850 Steamboat Disaster

In 1850, the steamboat G.P. Griffith was crossing Lake Erie in the darkness, carrying families, immigrants, and travelers toward a new life. Before dawn, fire broke out a

The George A. Marsh Mystery: A Family Lost on Lake Ontario

In August 1917, the old wooden schooner George A. Marsh was crossing Lake Ontario with a heavy load of coal, a captain’s family, friends, crew, and seven children aboard.

Bonus Out of the Lakes - The SS Trevessa Disaster: 25 Days in Open Lifeboats

In the middle of the Indian Ocean, the SS Trevessa sent one final message: the ship was sinking, and the crew was abandoning ship.Rescue vessels raced toward her position

Inside the Edmund Fitzgerald: Life Aboard the Mighty Fitz (Part 2 of 8)

Before the Edmund Fitzgerald became a legend, she was a workplace, a home, and a world of her own.In Part 2 of this 8-part series, we step aboard the Mighty Fitz to explo