Graveyard of the Great Lakes. . Whitefish Point has been called the graveyard of Lake Superior. Since navigation began on Lake Superior there has been approximately 550 wrecks. More vessels were lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. There are three major reasons for the high loss of ships in the Whitefish Point area. First, the eastern end of the lake is very congested where the lake narrows down like a funnel and up and down bound ship traffic must pass. Poor visibility in this congested area from fog, forest fires, and snow has caused numerous collisions and groundings. Finally, the nature of the largest lake itself, with the great expanse of over 200 miles of open water can build up terrific seas during a Superior Northwestern storm., Collisions were more common in earlier times because there were more vessels. In the 1880's over 3100 commercial vessels were on the lakes compared to less than 200 today. Since the first known shipwreck of a commercial vessel, the Invincible, in November 1816 to the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, approximately 320 lives have been lost in over 300 shipwrecks and accidents in the area known as the graveyard of the Great Lakes., Image credit: Ed Pusick
Whitefish Point has been called the graveyard of Lake Superior. Since navigation began on Lake Superior there has been approximately 550 wrecks. More vessels were lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. There are three major reasons for the high loss of ships in the Whitefish Point area. First, the eastern end of the lake is very congested where the lake narrows down like a funnel and up and down bound ship traffic must pass. Poor visibility in this congested area from fog, forest fires, and snow has caused numerous collisions and groundings. Finally, the nature of the largest lake itself, with the great expanse of over 200 miles of open water can build up terrific seas during a Superior Northwestern storm.
Collisions were more common in earlier times because there were more vessels. In the 1880's over 3100 commercial vessels were on the lakes compared to less than 200 today. Since the first known shipwreck of a commercial vessel, the Invincible, in November 1816 to the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975, approximately 320 lives have been lost in over 300 shipwrecks and accidents in the area known as the graveyard of the Great Lakes.
Image credit: Ed Pusick
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters
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• Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lost at Sea series list. A significant historical month for this entry is November 1816.
Location. 46° 46.276′ N, 84° 57.434′ W. Marker is near Paradise, Michigan, in Chippewa County. It can be reached from North Whitefish Point Road half a mile north of West Sandy Lane, on the left when traveling north. Marker is near the Edmund Fitzgerald memorial at Whitefish Point Lighthouse. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18335 N Whitefish Point Rd, Paradise MI 49768, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and on Lake Superiors South Shore Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 23, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 23, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 869 times since then and 39 times this year. Photo1. submitted on May 23, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
