Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Today at work a song I’m sure many of us have all heard started playing, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” by Gordon Lightfoot. Now as I said, I’m sure you’ve heard the song before, but have you ever really paid attention to the story behind it? I never did, until my business partner asked me if I remembered it happening. I didn’t, and he thought it happened in the early 80’s so I was curious about it.
After doing a Google search for information I uncovered the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum website. Of course I was specifically interested in information about the Edmund Fitzgerald which they had as well (as you can see from the screen shot above).
If you’re interested in sailing, shipwrecks or other maritime trivia, this could be a very interesting site for you to uncover yourself and dive into (excuse the pun).
By the way, the wreck occurred in 1975 not the 1980’s, so I feel better now considering I had only recently celebrated my 1st birthday when it occurred.
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1 opinion for Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Roscoe Clark
Apr 29, 2007 at 3:07 pm
PLANNED DOWNRIVER CELEBRATIONS.
JUNE 7th, 8th and 9th
-2008 -
“TWO BIG FIVE-O’s FOR RIVER ROUGE, MICHIGAN.”
The Mayor, the Commissioners of RIVER ROUGE,
and executives of the United States Steel Corporation, are
currently planning a celebratory community event in honor of
past and present residents who have contributed their manpower
and talents to this important mainstay of America’s industrial
economy.
FIFTY YEAR MILESTONES.
(i) While the Great Lakes Engineering Works shipyard has been
silent since 1962, after almost FIFTY (50) years of
operation, there are many community retirees who remember
most of the massive Great Lakes freighters; other notable
vessels; and steel fabrications; that were built during
wartime and when our downriver industrial might was
expanding.
(ii) And, yet another FIFTY (50) years ago, on Saturday June 7th
1958, the shipyard side-launched the S.S. EDMUND FITZGERALD
which was the first, largest and fastest straight-decker
bulk-ore carrier on the Great Lakes for St. Lawrence Seaway
service.
The planners of the 2008 event welcome other community inputs
since River Rouge has significantly contributed to making
America an industrial giant from the early days of Michigan’s
history.
At that time, literacy and innovation were the hallmarks of her
business environment, with the Detroit area as the principal
industrial city, port and staging post for the distribution of
Michigan-produced goods and services.
» We would like this event to become a social and business
celebration of the road already travelled and new
directions to be taken, so please mark your 2008 calendars
and contact us for further background and voluntary
participation opportunities as preliminary planning
progresses «
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