I am curious to know how much this anniversary is getting notice outside Michigan and the Great Lakes area (Things that make me go HMMMMMMM, I guess). The Detroit News has had an article in the last several newspapers about it. Of course, Mariners' Church is downtown Detroit, right on the Detroit River. The Dossin Great Lakes Museum is on Belle Isle in the Detroit River. They have a memorial, including the anchor of the Edmund Fitzgerald which had fallen off its chain and was lodged on the floor of the Detroit River for many years.
50 years ago today, the Edmund Fitzgerald--the largest man-made item to be launched into the Great Lakes up to that time--was lost in Lake Superior, claiming the lives of all 29 men on board. They remain entombed in the Edmund Fitzgerald to this day.
Theories abound as to exactly how the Edmund Fitzgerald ended up on the bottom of Lake Superior. Based on communications with the Arthur M. Anderson which was trailing behind the Fitz, the captain of the Fitzgerald claimed, "We are holding our own"--that despite the numerous problems he had reported. Was that willful denial? Was it a stubborn streak? Was Captain McSorley convinced that his vessel could withstand the worst Lake Superior could offer? All previous encounters with horrendous weather said it could.
In any case, it was mere minutes after the claim, "We are holding our own," that the Edmund Fitzgerald disappeared from sight and from radar. It rests in two large pieces, over 500 feet deep on the bed of Lake Superior.
In honor of those who were lost, give a listen to Gordon Lightfoot's song. Interesting note about this recording: Gordon Lightfoot did not even have this song completed when it was recorded. He worked with his fellow musicians and they discussed briefly what they would like it to sound like. It was recorded, unrehearsed. Several additional takes were recorded, but none were deemed as good as the first take. That is amazing! Here it is. Enjoy.
This past week, the Local Tourist and the Mrs. took a trip to Port Huron for an overnight stay. Perhaps Port Huron rests a little outside the "local" definition, but it was not much more than an hour away, so I contend it qualifies.
We enjoyed a nice meal at Vintage Tavern, opting for interior dining instead of the roof top experience. According to their website, we would have had a nice view of the St. Clair River from there, but the first floor also seemed a little quieter.
We enjoyed a nice walk along the St. Clair River under the Blue Water Bridge. We appreciated seeing a Great Lakes freighter float by, the Algoma Guardian. Then we drove to the downtown area and walked a few blocks to enjoy the older buildings. We spent a bit of time in an antiques store that just seemed to go on and on. It is a bit unsettling to count the items I knew from childhood in an antique store. Staff at a different antique store I had visited some years ago assured me that those are "collectibles," not old enough to be antiques.
Finally, before the return trip home, we enjoyed some fish at the Black and Blue Brewery on the Black River.
