Munising in Alger County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
S.S. Kiowa Wreck
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 25, 2025
1. S.S. Kiowa Wreck Marker
The maritime artifacts displayed in this community fountain were salvaged from the S.S. Kiowa - a steel freighter built in 1920 by the Detroit Shipbuilding Company. S.S. Kiowa measured 251 feet in length, 43 feet in beam, 24 feet in depth, weighed 2,309 gross tons and was powered by a three-cylinder, triple-expansion steam engine that provided 1,250 horsepower.
On November 30, 1929, while carrying a cargo of flaxseed down-bound from Duluth, S. S. Kiowa encountered a fierce blizzard and sank in Lake Superior off Au Sable Light, 28 miles east of Munising. Of the twenty-three crew members, five perished, including Captain Alex Young. Charlie Chilson of Grand Marais, led the successful rescue effort to save the eighteen remaining crewmen. This monument honors the courage of all those who have sailed the "Great Lakes".
Two local scuba divers: Brian Schulze of Crystal Falls, and Charles E. Nebel of Munising coordinated a recovery team in August, 1968 and salvaged the propeller blades and anchor. The anchor is constructed of annealed steel and weighs 3,360 pounds. The blades, cast in manganese bronze, each weigh 2,275 pounds. At the site of the sunken S.S. Kiowa, large sections of the ship are still clearly visible in thirty feet of water.
Fountain designed and constructed by Jake Kubiak, Kimax Design
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lost at Sea series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 30, 1929.
Location. 46° 24.625′ N, 86° 39.338′ W. Marker is in Munising, Michigan, in Alger County. It is at the intersection of East Superior Street and Elm Avenue, on the right when traveling east on East Superior Street. The marker and adjacent fountain are located at Peoples State Bank of Munising. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 E Superior St, Munising MI 49862, 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 Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Russell A. Alger (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Shipwrecks of the Alger Underwater Preserve (approx. 0.2 miles away); Munising Public Dock (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alger County All Veterans Memorial (approx. Ό mile away); In Memory of the Men and Women of Alger County (approx. half a mile away); Munising Falls (approx. 1.8 miles away); Location is Everything! (approx. 3.2 miles away); Whats Old? Whats New? (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Munising.
Also see . . . The Kiowa.
The Kiowa, a grain carrying 251-foot(Submitted on July 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina.)steel bulk freight steamer was launched in 1920 at Wyandotte, Michigan and was hit by a gale on November 30. 1929.Photographed by Mark Parker, June 25, 20252. S.S. Kiowa Wreck Marker at Peoples State Bank of Munising
The shifting of her unstable cargo of flax seed made her unmanageable, and she went on an Au Sable reef, several miles west of Grand Marais, Michigan. Five lives were lost, but the other 16 crewmen were saved in a courageous rescue effort. The Kiowa is located at 20-40 foot depths. On a clear day the huge sections of hull are easily visible from the surface. The stern of the wreck lies on its port side.
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 25, 2025
3. S.S. Kiowa Wreck propeller blade and anchor now part of a fountain near the marker
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 25, 2025
4. S.S. Kiowa propeller blade and anchor, now part of a fountain at Peoples State Bank of Munising
Credits. This page was last revised on January 5, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 268 times since then and 42 times this year. Last updated on July 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 12, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
