Nine years in the making — the story behind discovering a Lake Superior shipwreck
Earlier this month, Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman found the Henry Steinbrenner about 750 feet deep in Lake Superior, south of Isle Royale. It’s the latest in what has been a remarkable series of Great Lakes discoveries by the two men, going back decades.
Ken Merryman joined MPR News Host Cathy Wurzer to talk about the find.
Relative of man who died on Lake Superior reacts to news of shipwreck’s discovery
Madge Alberts was just getting up Wednesday morning in Pine Island, Minn., when her husband called to her.
“Come to the computer, you have to read this,” she recalled him saying. “He dragged me to the computer and I was like, ‘Really, you’re going to make me read a story about politics before I even have coffee?’ And he laughed and said, ‘Just read it.’”
“Well, I got one paragraph into it, and got teary-eyed and goosebumps from head to foot.”
The article on the MPR News website was about the recent discovery of the wreck of the freighter Henry Steinbrenner in Lake Superior. The ship sank in a storm in 1953 with the loss of 17 of its 31 crew members — including Alberts’ great-uncle, Earl Hemmingson.
Alberts was 5 when the ship sank. She spoke Friday with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition.
“I’m getting goosebumps again with you talking about it,” Alberts said.
“Two-thirds of the way down the story there was a clip from the Duluth Herald that said three Duluth men were killed in the shipwreck, and Earl was listed. And that’s the first time I had seen his name in any sort of a newspaper clip of it,” she said, recalling reading the article.
“It just made it real for me. It’s something that I’ve been sort of obsessed with all my life … about what happened to him.”
1897-vintage tug America rechristened at Monroe
The 1897-vintage tug America has had her original name restored. During a short ceremony Saturday, September 30 at the Port of Monroe, MI, during Monroe Heritage Days. The vessel is the oldest commercially operating tug in the world, says Paul C. LaMarre III, Director of the Port of Monroe, MI, and also her frequent captain.
To mark the tug’s rechristening, champagne was liberally smashed over the name by Paul C. LaMarre Jr., Great Lakes maritime historian and tugboat captain. With more than 45 years of Great Lakes tugboat experience, he works for Detroit-based Gaelic Tugboat Co. He is also Paul C. LaMarre III’s father. With them was Gregg Thauvette, VP, Operations, The Great Lakes Towing.
This tug was built in 1897 by the Union Dry Dock Company of Buffalo, NY as the America. In 1899 she was acquired by the newly-formed Great Lakes Towing Company of Cleveland, OH, and was an original member of their fleet. She was eventually retired by the Towing Company, but got a new lease on life in 1941, when she was rebuilt with a new pilothouse and re-entered service. Later that same year, the America capsized on the Detroit River, and six lives were lost. The tug was raised and continued service. In 1950 she was converted from steam to diesel power. In 1982, the America was renamed Midway. The following year, her name was changed again, this time to Wisconsin. The Wisconsin continued to operate under that name until 2021, when she was renamed Georgia.
Roger LeLievre
Video of the tug America rechristening in Monroe, MI, courtesy of Roger LeLievre.
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- Henry Steinbrenner at Milwaukee, WI, with tug Roger in better days. Edwin Wilson
