Long Way Down, Long Time Back: After 130 years, the resting place of the lost wreck of the Atlanta was revealed this week by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The 172-foot schooner-barge was found in 650 feet of water in Lake Superior 35 miles off Deer Park, Mich. The Atlanta was one of multiple vessels identified by a very profitable summer season of shipwreck hunting on board the RV David Boyd. "More than 2,500 miles of Lake Superior were mapped in the summer of 2021 by Marine Sonic Technology in partnership with the GLSHS using Side Scan Sonar-Marine Sonic Technology," the society wrote in its announcement of the find. The society's director of marine operations and captain of the Boyd, Darryl Ertel, said of the wreck, “No one has to ask where the Atlanta is anymore.” The Atlanta sank on May 4, 1891, when it and the steamer towing it, the Wilhelm, got caught in a northwest gale. The towline snapped, and with no sails, the Atlanta was adrift in the Lake storm. The crew made it into the
lifeboats and, after several hours rowing, to within sight of the Crisp Point Life-Saving Station. Sadly, while attempting to land, the small boat overturned and only two survived. "The survivors said all three masts broke off during the storm, and video from an ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle) proves, all three masts broke off flush with the deck and are nowhere to be found," notes the society press release. "Because of its time in the frigid depths of Lake Superior, the Atlanta is a wonderfully preserved shipwreck. 'It is rare that we find a shipwreck that so clearly announces what it is and the name-board of the Atlanta really stands out,'” Bruce Lynn, executive director of the GLSHS, said. '“It is truly ornate, and still beautiful after 130 years on the bottom of Lake Superior.”'
Going Up?: February should have been the last month of decline for the water levels on Lake Superior, but only the lion or lamb of March will tell whether the Big Lake starts on its spring upward swing, reports the International Lake Superior Board of Control and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the monthly water level update this week. Lake Superior’s water levels remained below the seasonal long-term average at the end of February after dropping 0.8 inches, which is less than its usual 2 inch drop in February. At the beginning of March, Lake Superior was 3.5 inches below its 100-plus-year average (since 1918) and 11 inches below what it was at the same time in 2021. The Lake's overall water level is at about 600 feet.
History & Water Volunteers Needed: Keweenaw National Historical Park, headquartered in Calumet, is looking for volunteers for the summer. "Would you like to spend your summer and/or fall living and volunteering in the Keweenaw Peninsula?" the park folk ask. The positions open are for a public volunteer and for a student intern. You can apply online. The volunteer positions are mainly at the visitor center, answering questions and making sales. Volunteers get paid RV trailer pad sites in local campgrounds.
… Or Be a Life Guard: The Duluth Area Family YMCA reached out for help recruiting lifeguards and offering lifeguard certifications through its local branches. The Lifeguard Training course includes accident prevention, lifeguarding techniques, emergency systems and rescue skills. Lifeguards must be 16 or older to work within the YMCA, or 18 or older to work at Park Point as a seasonal guard.
The Bridge Guy: The Visit Duluth website intends to host a series of local profiles called Faces of Duluth, starting with Dave Campbell, supervisor o the Aerial Lift Bridge operation. Dave is a master electrician who has worked at the Lift Bridge for nine years. The profile is a Q&A style that includes these questions …
What drew you to work at the Lift Bridge? With my mechanical background, I wondered, “How does that work?” I wanted to know how the bridge moved, how you maintain it. I didn’t see it as a tourist attraction; rather, it’s a needed piece of equipment for the shipping traffic. But I know people come from far away to check out the bridge.
Surprising Lift Bridge fact? The Lift Bridge is actually a bridge inside a bridge. The frame of the original transporter bridge from 1905 is still technically here, but when planners put a thousand tons worth of roadway on there and two, 500-ton counterweights, there was no way the old bridge was going to support that kind of weight. So inside of that structure they built another bridge that would hold that weight. And they did that in 1929, when we didn’t have CAD drawings or super computers, just pencils and slide rules. And it’s still working great today.
Any standout moments? You realize how powerful the lake is, how powerful weather is. I’ve seen 15-foot waves coming through the canal. I was literally standing on the canal walkway and watched a wave that was higher than me go in front of me underneath the bridge. And the water just poured over the sides. I said to myself, “That’s not something you see every day.”
Bibbity, Bobblehead, Boom: Two curling stars will be featured on limited editions of bobbleheads through the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum (yes, that's a thing). Says the museum in its press release announcing that the bobbleheads can be ordered today (delivery in July): "Matt Hamilton, who is from McFarland, Wisconsin and is a member of the Madison Curling Club, is being honored with his second bobblehead, with the new version featuring his long hair and new tattoos. This marks the first bobblehead of John Shuster, who resides in Superior, Wisconsin and is a member of the Duluth Curling Club in Duluth, Minnesota." Obviously, the new bobbles have not been unveiled, but we got this preview image from the museum folk. They go for $30 each, and come with a removable gold medal earned in the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Another Reason to Buy Local: Looking for alternatives to foreign vodkas? Turns out Lake Superior contributes to at least a couple local options. Vikre Distillery in Duluth, known for its gin (including an intriguing Boreal Spruce variety), also produced Lake Superior Vodka. In Red Cliff, Wis., Copper Crow Distillery, the first Native-owned distillery in the United States, specializes in vodka, though it also makes rum and gin. There also are a few nearby distilleries, though it's not Lake Superior aiding the flavors. In French-speaking Hearst, Ont., northeast of the Big Lake, Rheault Distillery produces vodka, whiskey and liqueurs. In Cedarville in the eastern Upper Peninsula on Lake Michigan, Les Cheneaux Distillers also serves up vodka, whiskey and gin.
Make Plans: Here are a few events this weekend and coming up soon to put on your to-do list for fun:
Mar.4-6, Bayfield Winter Festival, Wisconsin: As the organizers say, "Take the plunge into Lake Superior at the end of Rittenhouse Avenue, candlelight ski/snowshoe/hike at Howl Adventure Center, and finish the weekend with a Bloody Mary at Copper Crow (in Red Cliff). Activities are scheduled all weekend long to provide a variety of ways for people of all ages to participate in this exciting winter event!" Mar. 5-13, St. Urho's Day auction, Finland, Minnesota: Sure, the "official" St. Urho's Day isn't until March 16, but the Clair Nelson Center in Finland (Minnesota, that is) already has a fundraising auction under way. Mar. 6-12, Restaurant Week, Marquette: Sunday launches this year's Restaurant Week in downtown Marquette. Make an excuse to sample a new restaurant using the money-saving single-price meal menus during the event. The list of participating restaurants is online.
An Editor's Note: As of next week, we will be combining our Wednesday "Spotlight on Events" and our Friday "Around the Circle This Week" into one Thursday e-newsletter with regional tidbits and upcoming events. Please make sure if you've got an event, you send a link to us two weeks in advance of it at edit@lakesuperior.com.
Photo & graphic credits: Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society; International Lake Superior Board of Control; Visit Duluth; National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum; Copper Crow Distillery; Downtown Marquette