There have been a lot of boats and ships that have met with trouble on Lake Superior. Growing up on another reasonably large Minnesota lake, Lake of the Woods, gave me a lot of respect for large bodies of water and what the weather could create in conjunction with them.
This year I was in Lutsen, MN on the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmond Fitzgerald and spent a little time around the lake. It was cold and windy, probably nothing like the actual day the great ship went down in 1975, but certainly impressive for anyone contemplating a water excursion.
I’m not sure I knew that the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company was the owner of the Edmond Fitzgerald. There are a lot of other interesting facts and lore at attic.areavoices.com Split Rock lighthouse was lit up on this anniversary again to honor the day and the lives lost in this inland sea disaster.
Of course Gordon Lightfoot also immortalized The Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald in song the next year, 1976. Its classic and moving folk music and very popular still, especially in the iron range and arrowhead regions of Minnesota. If you haven’t heard the song, there are several versions out there on YouTube…here’s one.
Lakes and water have been important and influential to me my entire life. Lake Superior’s arrowhead region has a special hold on my imagination and my heart.
