Edmund Fitzgerald launches June 7, 1958

The Edmund Fitzgerald was launched on June 7th, 1958 in River Rouge 18, Michigan. Crowds of spectators observed, both on land at Great Lakes Engineering Works, as well as in boats on the river, and on the stage set up in front of the boat’s bow.

Two videos ABC 10 and the CW-5 recently shared to Facebook are creating quite a buzz, with over a half a million views, and shared / liked by more than ten thousand. Here’s some stunning vintage footage of the Edmund Fitzgerald. One, making its way through the Soo Docks in 1967.

On November 10th, 1975, a storm with blinding snow and high winds gripped the southern shore of Lake Superior. The lighthouse and navigational radio beacon at Whitefish Point was knocked out by the storm, and the coast guard was out searching for a 16 foot outboard missing in the area.

Their attention however turned to an even more deadly prospect, being radioed that the ore-hauling ship Edmund Fitzgerald had gone missing in the frenzied seas, though no distress signal was ever received. With gale force winds almost 60 miles an hour, rescue effort were impossible. A crew of 29 men had lost their lives as the Edmund Fitzgerald suddenly sank without warning, found later split in half on the floor of Lake Superior.