Shipwrecks: Their Relics and Stories
By Laura Deering
Point Iroquois Lighthouse (Laura Deering).
When beachcombing along the shoreline, we often assume a found piece of beach glass, such as a broken bottle, was discarded as trash. However, it is possible it was from a ship that was wrecked offshore. When a ship is grounded or sunk, its goods often spill into the water. Some eventually can end up on the beach as beachcombing treasures of weathered glass, tableware, or personal items such as dice and marbles.
Museum entrance (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum—Whitefish Point, Michigan
So, when I was heading out this past fall to beachcomb along Lake Superior, added to the adventure was a visit to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in Whitefish Point, Michigan. I hoped to learn more about the connection between beach finds and shipwrecks. Since the Great Lakes region has thousands of shipwrecks on a scale more than any other place in the world, it was the perfect place to start.
Joined by my friend Kelly on a beautiful October afternoon in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (UP), we drove through a tunnel of maple trees with cardinal red leaves set against a piercing sapphire sky. Years earlier we pedaled a tandem bicycle in the UP, so humming along in a car on the two-lane road was a treat. The scenery was a bonus as we weaved along the edge of Lake Superior. It seemed the lake purposely amped up its blueness, as if competing with the sky. Before we knew it, we arrived at the museum.
“Home of one of the best small museums in America.”
The above quote from Money Magazine underscores this thoughtful and well-curated museum and remarkably, several other related maritime buildings on site, including a lighthouse, theater, US Coast Guard station, and a US Navy radio building—all topped off with a wonderful gift shop. But wait, there’s more: a boardwalk to Lake Superior beach, with hiking trails and overlooks to spot freighters chugging in the distance.
Stern of the Edmund Fitzgerald (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
Upon buying our tickets, it was suggested to start our tour at the small theater building for a film introduction. As much as I wanted to run and check out the lighthouse and relics, Kelly, a schoolteacher, kept me in line and I was grateful she did. The movie was about the Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that captured the world’s attention when it sank during a brutal November storm in 1975 near Whitefish Point. Of the 29 crew, there were no survivors. The sinking of one of the largest freighters of its time was then immortalized by Canadian singer Gordon Lightfoot’s song in 1976, “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”
The short film documented 20 years of effort to reach the ship and recover its ship bell. It took talented researchers, new inventions, record dives, and help from National Geographic to bring the bell to surface. Watching the footage of family members at the memorial service ring the bell in honor of a loved one was profound. The film set the tone of the museum, respectfully recognizing the bravery of those who sail, along with courageous people who helped save shipwrecked survivors.
Left to right: Fresnel lens (Laura Deering). Edmund Fitzgerald ship bell (Laura Deering). Rescue boat (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
Shipwreck Relics Exhibits
When we entered the main museum, little did we know that the Fitzgerald bell was awaiting us. It was poignant and touching. Above the bell was a breath-taking lighthouse lens, a Fresnel lens of second order. Fresnel lenses are ranked in order of size and focal length, with six orders, one being the largest. So, seeing a second order was an extra special treat. The combination of its overall size and maze of multiple prisms refracting rainbows of color was hypnotizing.
Museum exhibits (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
As we made our way around the museum’s perimeter, there were displays of early Native American artifacts such as arrowheads and stone tools. Next up were displays of nautical advancements like brass diving suits. Then came exhibits of famous Great Lake shipwrecks and their remnants: glassware, ship embossed dinnerware, crocks, ink wells and game pieces—things many beachcombers love to find!
Left to right: Shipwreck Coast Store (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society). Edmund Fitzgerald model (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
It was very interesting looking at the recovered items, many of them whole, as we normally see broken bits of bottles and dishes when beachcombing. We enjoyed mentally matching some finds with what they once were, such as pieces from a fine glass bowl. Examining the relics helped me categorize some past beach finds with their time periods.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse (Laura Deering).
Next, we ventured to the lighthouse.
Left to right: Whitefish Point Lighthouse (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society). Lake Superior Hiking Trail (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
Lake Superior’s Oldest Active Lighthouse
It is always a joy to visit a well-loved and maintained lighthouse, and this one shone, with tastefully placed signage and details. The kitchen looked like it had not been touched for 100 years, tables laden with bread and eggs.
Shipwreck Museum grounds (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society).
Strolling the grounds with the magnificent October sun made it irresistible to not photograph the 1861 lighthouse repeatedly.
Left to right: Underwater research (Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society). Lake Superior and Point Iroquois Beach (Laura Deering).
Gichigami–the Great Sea
After viewing the buildings, the boardwalk draws you down to Lake Superior where you can walk to the beach. Off in the distance, 17 miles away, lies the wreckage of the Edmund Fitzgerald on the bottom of Lake Superior beside hundreds of other wrecks. We learned many of the wrecks were caused by bad luck, but also by pushing the shipping season into unpredictable November weather, or by competing ships exceeding speed limits during tricky navigational conditions such as fog.
Lake Superior and Point Iroquois Beach (Laura Deering).
This lake was named Gichigami by the Ojibwe tribe, and the word means “great sea.” It is fascinating to me that they somehow knew before global maps and GPS that this huge body of fresh water is indeed actually a sea. It reigns supreme; after all, it is called Superior.
Kelly overlooking the endless rocks (Laura Deering).
Lake Superior Beachcombing Finds
Later that night, at Grand Marais, Michigan, Kelly and I geared up with black flashlights to find Yooperlites.
Yooperlite in daylight and under UV light (Audrey Deering).
In the daylight these greyish stones are nondescript, but in the dark the sodalite mineral in them glows under ultraviolet light. At first, we found dozens of glowing rocks and were busy jamming them in our pockets. Our stuffed pockets made us look like the Michelin Man. However, after finding so many together, it seemed something was not right. Sure enough, a fellow Yooperlite hunter we ran into confirmed our suspicions. It was algae on the rock that were glowing, and only one rock was a keeper.
Left to right: Lake Superior rocks and beach glass (Laura Deering). Milky quartz (Audrey Deering). Unakites and epidote rocks (Laura Deering).
The next day we returned to the beach and found to our hearts’ content what we drove hundreds of miles for: an endless beach of rocks. Filling a bucket with puddingstones, unakites, epidotes, and milky quartz more than made up for the previous night’s tally of one rock.
Lake Superior rock collection (Audrey Deering).
Beachcombing Insider Tips
We discovered, while in the vicinity, that there are several access areas to do some beachcombing, starting with the Point Iroquois Lighthouse. This cherished lighthouse is surrounded by a lovely low rock fence made with Lake Superior stone gracing its perimeter. Access to the beach is a hop, skip, and a jump away. There are other places along the road with pull-out points and access to small beach parks with historical markers detailing this unique and important part of America. The next time you discover a beachcombing find, perhaps it was a cast-away item, or maybe it has a bigger story to tell.
Learn more about the best beaches and destinations for sea and beach glass, seashells, fossils, rocks, and more beach finds around the world. Articles ›
This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 47 March/April 2025.
