November 10, 1975

The S.S. Edmund Fitzgerald is not the only ship to sink on Lake Superior, but it is by far the most famous. This is directly attributable to the haunting ballad (mp3) recorded by (mp3) Gordon Lightfoot.

This story and this song have inspired more than one boy from the Midwest to consider a career on the high seas or the Great Lakes. There was even a point this past summer when a couple of 8n5ers were singing along to the Gordon Lightfoot song at a cabin in Wisconsin. There was a shared moment - but that story is for another post.

This weekend, Split Rock Lighthouse will be lit for two days to commemorate those lost in Great Lakes shipwrecks. Think of them and honor their memory when you have a chance.