S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald

S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald. . , The Edmund Fitzgerald began service on June 7th, 1958. The Great Lakes Engineering Works, of Ecorse, Michigan built the 729 foot ship. It was the largest freighter sailing the Great Lakes at that time. The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. financed the vessel and named it after its president and chairman. Known as “the Pride of the American Side” or “The Fitz,” the ship delivered taconite pellets from mines on the Iron Range to ports around the Great Lakes. , On November 9, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald left the Burlington Northern’s Dock No. 1 in Superior’s Allouez neighborhood. The ship, carrying 26,116 tons of taconite pellets, made its way back through the Superior entry and into Lake Superior bound for Detroit. The day began unusually mild, but that evening the ship found itself contending with Lake Superior’s legendary gales of November. By early the next morning, the National Weather Service issued storm warnings for the entire lake. Ernest McSorley, the ship’s captain, departed from the normal shipping lanes and took a course closer to the Canadian shore to avoid as much bad weather as possible. The freighter Arthur M. Anderson followed the same route, seeking refuge in Whitefish Bay at the eastern end of Lake Superior. On the afternoon of November 10, the storm intensified. Both ships stayed in communication via radio. At 7:10 pm. The Fitzgerald’s McSorley reported, “We are holding our own.” But five minutes later, people aboard the Anderson could no longer see the lights of “The Fitz,” and no image of it appeared on radar. , At 9 pm., the Coast Guard urged the Anderson’s captain, Bernie Cooper, to look for “The Fitz.” They found signs of its wreckage on November 11, ending hopes of the survival of its 29 member crew. As of 2025, the Edmund Fitzgerald is the largest vessel to have sunk in the Great Lakes. The wreck is a gravesite and a no-dive zone. Its protected status, isolated location, and great depth contribute to its preservation.