Researchers in Michigan found the wreckage of two ships that disappeared into Lake Superior in 1914

In Michigan, researchers have found the wreckage of two ships that sank in Lake Superior in 1914. The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society reported the discovery this month after collaborating with other researchers. Ric Mixter, a society board member, called the discovery a career highlight and emphasized that it solved a chapter in America’s lumber history while highlighting the efforts of historians to preserve these stories.

The two ships belonged to the Edward Hines Lumber Company and sank on November 18, 1914, while transporting lumber from Baraga, Michigan, to Tonawanda, New York. The steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson, and all 28 people on board died during a storm that hit Lake Superior.

Both wrecks were found about 32 kilometres north of Grand Marais, Michigan, farther into the lake than the 1914 accounts had suggested they sank. Corey Adkins, the society’s content and communications director, reported damage to Marvin’s bow and Curtis’ stern, which led researchers to wonder if a collision had contributed to the sinking. Adkins added that discovering the wrecks helped piece together what happened to the 28 people aboard and raised the possibility that family members might still want to know what happened after 109 years.

The researchers plan to continue their investigation by considering these questions and exploring the possibility of a collision. The discovery not only helps complete the story of the sinking but also highlights the importance of preserving the history of these shipwrecks.