Shipwreck Museum

Hello all:

This morning we visited the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. It is also a Coast Guard Station. They used to train coasties here for their hours in ship and crew rescue. The lighthouse is manned in Sault Ste. Marie (pronounced "Soo Saint Marie"). The last major shipwreck was the Edmund Fitzgerald, November 10, 1975. It was pretty eerie listening to the song and reading/seeing the video about the wreck. They brought up the bell and replaced it with one that had the names of the crew and captain engraved on it. Pretty spectacular! There is even a model done in Legos for you fanatics out there.

So here are some pics I took at the museum. The tour consisted of 5 buildings, the last was the video on the Edmund Fitzgerald and the bell recovery/replacement.

 Whitefish Point Lighthouse

 

 Recovery

This group stopped what they were doing to pose for me.

 

 Lightkeeper's house

 

 My favorite, the library

 

 the lightkeeper's son

 

 lightkeeper's daughter

I don't know what she was looking for; she was supposed to set the table for lunch.

 

 Mrs. Lightkeeper

She asked us to stay for lunch, but we just ate breakfast. The berries look good, though.

 

 Mr. Lightkeeper

Shhh! He's working!

 

 The Coast Guard Station

It is 3 stories and houses crew here for training.

 

 an old-fashioned paddle for discipline

(just kidding; it is a rudder from a 19th century ship; but I'll tell my students to watch out, just the same).

 

 

It was a great visit. The house was relatively large compared to most lightkeepers' dwellings. However, it was pretty isolated here, so they brought their families. The family that posed for us are the Carsons. He was born in Sweden, and he served for 40 years. Wowza! His wife also manned the radio and raised their 3 children.

 

Tomorrow is a travel day to Marquette, then to Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. I am hoping there will be a copper mine we can go tour at Copper Harbor. That would be awesome! The only copper I know is that in wires, tubing and plumbing (under my house), and in pennies. It would be great to see it up close (after all, I teach this stuff, too). Enjoy!