Resources on Great Lakes Shipwrecks

iLink

iLink is the online catalog for Osterlin Library. Material on these topics can be located by doing a subject search using the terms shipwrecks great lakes or the broader heading of great lakes history. An alternative method of locating materials is browsing the library shelves for materials that circulate. (Most reference sources are listed in this guide.) Great Lakes shipwreck information is classified under G525, F551, and VK.

Beneath the Inland Seas: Michigan’s Underwater Archeological Heritage
Lansing, MI: MI Dept. of History Arts and Libraries, 2008
CC77.U5 H2 2008 (MichDoc Ref)
Vignettes of 19 shipwrecks written by the archaeologists, historians and sport divers who know them best.

A Divers Guide to Michigan Underwater Preserves, 2006-2007
St. Ignace, MI: Michigan Underwater Preserve Council, 2006
VK1271 .M533 2006

Freshwater Fury
Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1960
F551 .B3
Account of the great storm of November 9, 1913 that brought death and destruction to scores of Great Lakes ships.

Gales of November : the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Chicago: Contemporary Books, c1981
G530 .E26 H45

Ghost Ships of the Great Lakes
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1968.
G525 .B78
An inventory of people and wreckage on the Great Lakes, some plucked from the shoreline, some never to be heard from again. Many ships were lost without a trace, each adding another name to the long list of vanished ships on the Great Lakes

Graveyard of the Lakes
Detroit: Wayne State University, 2000.
G525 .T475 2000
Examines specific Great Lakes shipwrecks, from the 1679 loss of the Griffon to the explosion of the tanker Jupiter in 1990, with an eye to the economic, political and psychological factors involved.

Great Lakes Maritime History
Dearborn, MI: Seajay Publications, 1982.
REF Z1251 .G8 F44 1982
Identifies a wide variety of source material related to maritime history in the Great Lakes region.

Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Survivals
Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1977.
F551 .R3 1974
Chronicle of the most spectacular shipwrecks and survivals on the Great Lakes.

Great Lakes Underwater Cultural Resources
Lansing, MI: Michigan State University, 1993.
F551 .G725 1993
Proceedings of the Great Lakes Regional Conference on Underwater Cultural Resource Policy: February 3-4, 1993.

Great Stories of the Great Lakes
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1966.
F551 .B7
Rsearched stories of Great Lakes shipping that include many excellent archival photos and illustrations.

Great Wrecks of the Great Lakes
Marquette, MI: Harboridge Press, 1973.
G525 .S883 1973
A detailed index of over 450 shipwrecks that have occurred on the lakes from 1812 to the 1960’s, with accompanying details.

Julius F. Wolff Jr.'s Lake Superior Shipwrecks
Duluth, Minn. : Lake Superior Port Cities, 1990.
G525 .W78 1990

Lake Michigan Disasters
Manitowoc, Wisc : Manitowoc Maritime Museum, 1925.
VK23.7 .P58 1925
Compiled in 1925, a partial record of the shipwrecks on Lake Michigan compiled from various records and newspapers of Manitowoc and Sheboygan Counties, WI.

The Long Ships Passing: the Story of the Great Lakes
New York: Macmillan, 1975.
F551 .H38 1975
Presents vivid pictures of life-and death-on the lakes, and mysterious accounts of ships and men that sank to freshwater graves.

Lore of the Lakes
Daytona Beach, FL: Dana Thomas Bowen, 1940.
F551 .B78 1940
A compendium of Great Lakes shipping stories which have now become folklore.

Many a Midnight Ship: True Stories of Great Lakes Shipwrecks
Ann Arbor, MI: U of M Press, 2005.
G525 .B765 2005
14 stories about shipwrecks in the Great Lakes from the early 1800s to the 1950s, the heyday era for the Lakes as a waterway.

Mighty Fitz : the Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
New York, NY : Bloomsbury Pub., 2005.
G530 .E26 S38 2005
The Edmund Fitzgerald was one of the largest ships to sail the Great Lakes, and its sinking in 1975 continues to be the lakes' biggest mystery.

The Salvager: the Life of Captain Tom Reid on the Great Lakes
Minneapolis: Ross and Haines, 1958.
VK1491 .B65
An historical record of the shipping disasters on The Great Lakes during the years 1880-1950.

Schooner Passage: Sailing Ships and the Lake Michigan Frontier
HE630 .M5 K37 2000
Discusses the evolution of schooner technology, the role of the schooner in the , Great Lakes, tales of notable shipwrecks or near misses, and the demise of the schooner in the face of steam-powered steel ships.

Ships and Men of the Great Lakes
Cleveland, OH: Freshwater Press, 1977.
F551 .B718
A century of Great Lakes history in a series of true, thoroughly documented misadventures of vessels and the men who sailed them.

Shipwreck! A Comprehensive Directory of Over 3,700 Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes
Boyne City, MI: Harbor House Publishers, 1992.
REF G525 .S948 1992
Chronicles commercial ships that have been lost in the Great Lakes from recorded history to the present.

Shipwrecks of the Lakes Told in Story and Picture
Daytona Beach, FL: Dana Thomas Bowen, Publisher 1952.
VK1271 .B68
Details a select number of outstanding shipwrecks from Great Lakes history.

Shipwrecks of the Sleeping Bear
Traverse City, MI : Pioneer Study Center, c1984.
VK1271 .H3 1984

Shipwrecks of the Straits of Mackinac
Dearborn, MI : Seajay Publications, c1991.
G525 .F435 1991

Steaming Through Smoke and Fire, 1871: True Stories of Shipwreck and Disaster on the Great Lakes
Sandusky, MI: Published by J.L. Donahue in cooperation with the Historical Society of Michigan, 1990.
G525 .D58 1990
A record of events on the Great Lakes during the year 1871 when 1,167 ships encountered major accidents, and also the year of the great Chicago fire and a forest fire that swept the states of Wisconsin, Northern Illinois, Michigan and Northern Ohio on the same day.

Strange Adventures of the Great Lakes
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1974.
F551 .B72
Explores the inexplicable disappearances of ships and crews like the schooner Hunter Savidge, a victim of a white squall, and the curious legends that have developed about the loss of ships and passengers on the Great Lakes.

Tales of the Great Lakes
New York: Dodd, Mead, 1971.
F551 .B73
Historical adventures and tragedies of freshwater ships and sailors.

Treasure Ships of the Great Lakes
Maritime Research and Pub. Co., 1981.
G525 .T674 1981
Guide to treasure ships in the Great Lakes.

True Tales of the Great Lakes
New York: Dodd Mead, 1971.
F551 .B73
Describes the dramatic events that took place on each of the lakes during the terrible storm of 1913, when dozens of sailors perished. Includes the tragic story of the capsizing of the steamer "Eastland", and the episode of the loss of 1,000 cases of whiskey.

29 Missing : the True and Tragic Story of the Disappearance of the S.S. Edmund
East Lansing : Michigan State University Press, c1998.
G530 .E26 K36 1998
Recounts the sinking of the huge freighter the S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior in 1975 and describes subsequent expeditions to the wreck site to uncover clues to her mysterious disappearance.

White Hurricane: a Great Lakes November gale and America’s deadliest maritime disaster
New York: McGraw Hill, 2002.
G525 .B8575 2002
November 7, 1913, after four days of winds up to 90 miles an hour, freezing temperatures, whiteout blizzard conditions, and mountainous seas, 19 ships had been lost, two dozen had been thrown ashore, 238 sailors were dead, and the city of Cleveland was confronting the worst natural disaster in its history.

Wreck of the Carl D.: a True Story of Loss, Survival, and Rescue at Sea
New York: Bloomsbury, 2008.
G530 .C2958 S38 2008
November 18, 1958, the Carl D. Bradley, a 623-foot limestone carrier caught in one of the most violent storms in Lake Michigan history, snapped in two, and sank in less than five minutes.

The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Au Train, Mich. : The Studios, 1982.
G530 .E26 S87 1982

Wrecks and Rescues of he Great Lakes: a Photographic History
San Diego, CA: Howell- North Books, 1981.
G525 .B28
Describes shipping disasters and rescues on the Great Lakes. Includes the capsizing of the Eastland, the wreck of the liner Huronic, and the loss of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Wrecks, Strandings, and the Life-saving Service/Coast Guard in the Manitou Passage Area
[Empire] : Typescript, 1993.
VK1271 .B84

Useful Web Sites

Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
http://www.shipwreckmuseum.com/
Whitefish Point, Michigan is the home of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The web site offers detailed information and virtual tours.

Historical Collections of the Great Lakes
http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/cac/page39984.html
Online databases for vessels, ports, and maritime personnel are available from the
he HCGL's collections. Their extensive archives (print only) include materials related to commercial shipping, shipbuilding, navigation, maritime law, commercial fishing, shipwrecks, yachting, labor history, popular literature, freshwater ecology, recreation, and the history of Great Lakes ports.

Maritime Historical Society of Detroit
http://www.mhsd.org/
A non-profit organization founded in 1944 that provides a focal point for individuals and organizations interested in and concerned with the history of the Great Lakes and its maritime heritage.

Maritime History of the Great Lakes
http://www.maritimehistoryofthegreatlakes.ca/
A digital library containing ship lists, regional histories, government reports, newspaper accounts, and other resources. Topics include shipbuilding, shipwrecks, and the working lives of steamboats, schooners, and the people who sailed them. Maintained by librarians from the HALINET system in Canada.

Michigan Shipwreck Research Association (MSRA)
http://www.michiganshipwrecks.org/intro.htm
A non-profit organization dedicated to research and documentation of submerged cultural resources and the creation of educational programs and materials.

Michigan Underwater Preserves
http://www.mupc.net/
The Michigan Underwater Preserve Council (MUPC) was formed in an effort to preserve, protect the Great Lakes shipwrecks and to educate divers and non-divers on their history and aid in their preservation.

Minnesota’s Historic Shipwrecks
http://www.mnhs.org/places/nationalregister/shipwrecks/index.html
The State Historic Preservation Office of the Minnesota Historical Society has initiated a program of submerged cultural resource management.

Shipwrecks in the Great Lakes Region
http://www.great-lakes.net/tourism/cul/shipwrecks.html
An extensive list of links to shipwrecks and underwater preserves.

Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve
http://thunderbay.noaa.gov//
Thunder Bay and the surrounding waters on Lake Huron contain a nationally significant collection of over 100 shipwrecks that spans two centuries of Great Lakes shipping history, reflecting transitions in ship architecture and construction, from wooden schooners to steel-hulled steamers.

Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Shipwrecks
http://www.wisconsinshipwrecks.org/tools.cfm
Photos and video of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior wrecks, diving history, information on Great Lakes environmental issues and a database of more than 39,000 references to newspaper articles about life on the Great Lakes.

Wisconsin Maritime Museum
http://www.wisconsinmaritime.org
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is an educational institution dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and interpreting the artifacts that tell the story of the maritime industry of the Upper Great Lakes.