Edmund Fitzgerald, 1971 by Greenmars

50 years on November 10, 1975, the mighty SS Edmund Fitzgerald was lost with all hands in a powerful storm on Lake Superior. At 729-feet long, it was the largest ship on the Lakes at the time and the largest vessel to ever sink in the Great Lakes.

While Gordon Lightfoot’s classic song The Wreck of Edmund Fitzgerald undoubtedly contributed to the legend of the Fitz, the documentary Backstory: The Edmund Fitzgerald from Click on Detroit/Local 4 on the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald explores the myriad ways the ship in woven into Michigan’s culture & consciousness. I really encourage you to make some time to watch this excellent documentary. In addition to exploring the mystery of the wreck and the impact of Lightfoot’s iconic song, it features anecdotes like the fact many of the furnishings were from Hudson’s and a truly beautiful recounting of the stories of the sailors lost. Seriously excellent work!

I color corrected both of Greenmars’ photos of the Fitzgerald. The photo of the Fitzgerald’s bell was taken & shared by Hazelridgegirl & you can see them all and many more at SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Wikimedia Commons.

Much (much) more about the Edmund Fitzgerald on Michigan in Pictures.