WHITEFISH POINT, Mich. (WWJ) – Crews with the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society have found two of three ships that went missing in a big storm on Lake Superior more than a century ago.
The Steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson on Nov. 18, 1914 when a winter storm with high winds, snow squalls and big waves struck.
The ships, part of the Edward Hines Lumber Company – one of the biggest lumber companies of that era – were headed from Baraga, Mich. to Tonawanda, New York, all carrying a load of lumber. But the Curtis, Marvin and Peterson were never seen again.
In 2021 GLSHS crews located nine lost vessels, including the Curtis. The discovery was “a huge highlight for the team that summer.”
A year later in the summer of 2022 the crew in the Shipwreck Society's research vessel, David Boyd, came across another shipwreck within a few miles of the Curtis. Using a remotely operated vehicle, crews were able to confirm the ship was the Marvin.
“Finding the Curtis and the Marvin are significant historic discoveries in American history as they were all part of the Hines Lumber industry, one of the biggest lumber companies of that era,” the GLSHS said in a press release.
On that November day in 1914 the company lost about a quarter of its fleet in the storm.
“It was a career highlight to have witnessed the discovery of the Marvin,” said GLSHS board member and maritime historian, Ric Mixter. “It not only solved a chapter in the nation’s darkest day in lumber history, but also showcased a team of historians who have dedicated their lives towards making sure these stories aren’t forgotten.”
The GLSHS is still searching for the Peterson in hopes of solving “one of Lake Superior’s enduring mysteries.”
Video of the ships’ discovery can be found on the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society website.
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