Day 64: Visit to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

September 20, 2023

Day 64: September 20: Perhaps I jinxed us by yesterday's comments about how gorgeous the day was, the warmth and calmness, fooling us into believing all days would be perfect. Not so! The sun rose bright red, soon disappearing behind dark clouds. The wind is howling, causing the lake to rile up. Needless to say we will not be traveling back to the Soo today but the lakers and fishermen are not deterred, seen in the distance heading for another shore.

We visited with David and Sandra over coffee before we mounted our bikes and headed to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, only about 1 mile away. John and I have been here before so we looked forward to revisiting; I was particularly excited about being able to purchase some fudge! We pedaled into the parking area and were pretty surprised at the number of cars as well as people milling about. Being off season, we never expected to see the place so busy.

The Shipwreck Museum facility includes the museum, a life saving station, a lighthouse keeper's house and of course the Whitefish Point Light Station.

Whitefish Point has been called the graveyard of Lake Superior. Since navigation began on Lake Superior there has been about 550 wrecks and more vessels lost in the Whitefish Point area than in any other part of Superior.

The Whitefish Point Light Station is the oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior. The present light tower was constructed in 1861 during Abraham Lincoln's administration. In 1849, the U.S. Coast Guard established a Lifeboat Rescue Station at Whitefish Point; The station was closed in 1951 and the site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Thanks to the work of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, the site has become one of Michigan's most popular tourist attractions. Take a look at the rudder that came off the M.M. Drake (1882-1901), a wooden steam barge that rescued crews of 4 vessels that were in distress over the 19 years she served. In 1901 she sank after she tried to rescue the Michigan.

The museum includes exhibits that describe some of Lake Superior's shipwrecks, including of course the Edmund Fitzgerald. Upon entering the museum, Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" plays, enhancing the somber atmosphere of the room. As people walk around, reading about the lives lost when "the gales of November came early" and viewing the actual bell from the Edmund Fitzgerald, there is hardly a murmur, each person imagining the horror of getting caught in a monstrous, relentless storm.

We really enjoyed watching a video that shows every 20 minutes at the museum. It describes how storms kick up on the lakes and highlights the efforts involved in raising the Edmund Fitzgerald bell from where she lies, 530 feet deep. The 200 lb. bronze bell was recovered on July 4, 1995 by a cooperative venture between the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, National Geographic Society, Canadian Navy, Sony Corporation and Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. Families of the 29 lost crew members described their heartfelt appreciation; citing this felt like their loved ones were brought home.

We also visited the lifesaving station displays which include, among other things, a replica of the row boat that the lifesavers (sometimes called storm fighters) used when they bravely attempted to rescue victims of disasters. There is also an original Lyle gun which was used to shoot the line to the mast of the floundering vessel. John chatted with the person on duty about the life-saviing station that is still standing on Gooseberry Island in Westport. We also toured the lighthouse keepers' house where a fresnel lens was displayed. This type of lens divides the lens into a set of sections, thereby reducing the amount of material required for it to shoot its beacon of hope into the dark sky.