Michigan City in LaPorte County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
S. S. Eastland Disaster
Photographed By Susan Van Den Bosch, October 28, 2018
1. S. S. Eastland Disaster Marker
The S.S. Eastland was a Great Lakes excursion ship bound for Michigan City, Indiana from Chicago, Illinois on July 24, 1915.
With 2,501 passengers on board, the ship capsized during boarding while in the Chicago River. Tragically, 844 lives were lost in the melee that ensued.
The victims included mostly young women and children. There were 22 entire families lost that fateful Saturday morning.
The anchor chain before you is comprised of 844 individual links. Each link represents one of the 844 victims of the S. S. Eastland Disaster.
At 265'0" in length the memorial anchor chain is equivalent to the length of the S. S. Eastland.
Erected 2015 by The Old Lighthouse Musuem, Michigan City Historical Society, Inc.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is July 24, 1915.
Location. 41° 43.379′ N, 86° 54.355′ W. Marker is in Michigan City, Indiana, in LaPorte County. Marker is on On the Lake west of Franklin Street. The marker stands on the grounds of the Old Michigan City Lighthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12 On the Lake, Michigan City IN 46360, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Michigan City Lighthouse (here, next to this marker); Hoosier Slide
this page online
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Sister-marker in Chicago at the site of the disaster
Also see . . .
1. Eastland Disaster Historical Society. The Eastland Disaster Historical Society was founded to keep alive the memory of the Disaster, victims, survivors, heroes, and anyone affected by the tragedy.
Early on the morning of Saturday, July 24, 1915, a light rain fell. The air was filled with anticipation and excitement. Thousands gathered along the Chicago River for Western Electric's fifth annual employee picnic. More(Submitted on April 13, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana.)than 7,000 tickets had been purchased for the day-long festivities. But the day quickly turned tragic ...Photographed By Lou Donkle, April 4, 20242. Marker at north end of Memorial chainChain contains 844 links, one for each passenger that died, and is 265 feet long equivalent to the length of the Eastland
2. Wikipedia article about the SS Eastland. This link shares about the ship's second career as USS Wilmette (IX-29) (Submitted on April 13, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana.)
Photographed By Susan Van Den Bosch, October 18, 2018
3. S S Eastland Disaster Marker
Photographed By Lou Donkle, April 4, 2024
4. Memorial bench installed on the 100th anniversary of the Eastland Disaster 1915–2015
Credits. This page was last revised on April 13, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 21, 2022, by Susan Van Den Bosch of Genoa City, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 230 times since then and 56 times this year. Last updated on April 6, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana. Photos: 1. submitted on March 21, 2022, by Susan Van Den Bosch of Genoa City, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on April 5, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana. 3. submitted on March 21, 2022, by Susan Van Den Bosch of Genoa City, Wisconsin. 4. submitted on April 5, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
