What Once Was Lost Is Found
If ever there was a jinxed freighter, the Henry Steinbrenner, launched in 1901, might well have been it. The ship was sunken by a collision with the H.A. Berwind in the St. Marys River on Dec. 6, 1909, while downbound with a load of iron ore and raised the next spring. It collided with another ship, the John McCartney Kennedy in Whitefish Bay in fog on Oct. 11, 1923. And then, on May 11, 1953, after leaving Superior downbound with a load of ore, it foundered about 15 miles south of Isle Royale with a loss of 17 of the 31-member crew. In time, the ship itself disappeared from location, though not from memory. Wreckhunters have sought it for years and this month, two of Lake Superior's most prolific wreckhunters – Jerry Eliason and Ken Merryman – discovered the Steinbrenner's wrecked remains, about 750 feet down in Lake Superior. Andrew Krueger of MPRNews tells the tale of the ship and of its discovery. Jerry added a note when he sent us this image from the wreck site. He tells us that among the heartwrenches in the Steinbrenner story is the fate of crewman Norman Bragg. Norm survived that wreck, only to be on board the Daniel J. Morrell in 1966 when it went down with only one survivor … who was not Norman Bragg. This historic 1905 image shows the Steinbrenner (in center) heading into the locks at Sault Ste. Marie.
Read Andrew's full story here.
Launching of a Votive Ship
A votive ship, sometimes called a church ship, is a hand-carved model of a sailing ship commonly hung from the ceilings of churches in the Nordic and a few other countries. This Saturday (Sept. 30), you can be part of a that maritime tradition with the raising of a model ship in Trinity Lutheran Church of Hovland. The model was built by Mark Hansen (in photo), a founder and boat-building teacher at North House Folk School, who worked on the wooden ship for a year. Writes Randi Lyders, who brought this opportunity to our attention: "These votive ships … are a powerful symbol of the importance of the sea to these communities. They reflect a long tradition of sailors’ gratitude after a long and dangerous journey; offerings for the protection of
ships at sea; and a reminder of loved ones lost at sea. … Mark Hansen, designer and builder of wooden boats and small shelters since childhood, … was considering ways to leave a legacy in craftsmanship. Bill Beckstrand, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church, has been instrumental in furthering the notable architecture and hand-carved features of its worship space. Together, Hansen and Beckstrand hatched a plan for Hansen to to design and build a votive ship for Trinity’s sanctuary to commemorate the community’s relationship with Lake Superior." The program starts at 6 p.m. with a fishcake dinner followed by a presentation lead by Mark at 7 p.m.
Launching of a Sea-worthy Sauna
What is perhaps the first public floating sauna in the United States is now docked and ready for visitors at Skyport Lodge on Devil’s Track Lake about eight miles from downtown Grand Marais, Minn. Sisu and Löyly Nordic Sauna commissioned the custom build from Timber Arched of Osakis, Minn. It's open for sauna sessions through this fall. “I’ve been thinking about the concept of a floating sauna since launching the flagship sauna on the East Bay of Grand Marais in 2021,” says Katie Usem, owner of Sisu and Löyly. “While saunas and floating saunas are very popular in Scandinavia, there are no public ones in the United States. I wanted to change that.”
Meanwhile in Duluth, a local sauna builder and operator, Cedar + Stone Nordic Saunas, hopes to launch its sauna on a barge by late fall. The 40-foot "vessel+sauna" (which apparently needed U.S. Coast Guard approval) will be docked between Pier B and Bayfront Festival Park, where the company has other land-based saunas with access to a jump in the Lake, all year. Justin Juntunen, founder of Cedar & Stone Nordic Sauna, says after a trip 13 years ago to Finland where he experienced his first floating sauna, "It's my two favorite words of the English language to put together." His company will be making more floating saunas, including one for a client in Georgia. "A lot of people will catch the wave," Justin says.
Wild ricing in the St. Louis River Estuary: An immersive experience
Marie Zhuikov (in photo) with Wisconsin Sea Grant wrote a story about her experience wild ricing on Gichi Gami Ziibi (the St. Louis River) between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Among her companions were David Grandmaison of the Wisconsin DNR (in photo behind rice plants) and Martha Minchak, a retired Minnesota DNR wildlife manager, among others. Martha made an observation about the interwoven lives of the land and people, especially understood in traditional Ojibwe culture. “The rice needs us and we need the rice,” she said. “In places where it’s not harvested anymore, it’s disappeared. Kind of like sweet grass, it needs to be pulled up and picked. Rice needs to be harvested to reseed itself. We’re here to celebrate that today.”
Read Marie's full story and see more photos of ricing online.
Make Plans: Here are a few events coming up soon to put on a fun-do list:
Michigan
Fridays, Thru Oct. 6: Marquette Mountain Resort features its fall color lift rides, taking guests to the top of the mountain and letting them enjoy a beautiful stroll back down.
Starting Wednesday, Oct. 4-6: Michigan Technological University in Houghton will host a showcase on AI and its diverse and game-changing effects, with speakers, panels, workshops and interactive events. Showcase [AI], presented by Michigan Tech’s Institute of Computing and Cybersystems (ICC) and the College of Computing. The showcase explores the excitement and controversy of rapidly integrating intuitive automated systems that affect health, industry, computing and numerous other aspects of daily life. Many of the events require registration and run from 6 p.m. Wednesday to 5 p.m. Friday (Oct. 6). There’s no cost to attend.
Minnesota
Friday, Sept. 29: The Otso Demo and Bike Sale at Spokengear in Two Harbors features respresentatives from Otso out of Bloomington showing off the latest fatbikes, gravel and adventure bikes. Test rides available plus sales on bikes, 3-7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 30: The Bienvenue Coffee Fest will fill Michigan Street by The St. Louis County Depot with tents for coffee, conversation and information plus there will be activities all around downtown. Among the tent hosts will be Loch Café & Games for game play. Duluth Coffee Company will sponsor a latte art throwdown at The Depot Theatre and Alakef coffee will host two tasting events in Studio Four. Enjoy Coffee Cocktails with the Minnesota Ballet and free stickers to the first 500 attendees. All together, you’ll find 26 food and artisan vendors, 12 coffee and tea roasters and cafes, music, activities for kids and a full day of coffee-inspired presentations and activities, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 30: : Drury Lane Books in Grand Marais will host Peter Kero, author of Minescapes: Reclaiming Minnesota’s Mined Lands.
Starting Tuesday, Oct. 3-8: The North Star Story Summit has been condensed into six days in Duluth featuring the Catalyst Content Festival, the Duluth Superior Film Festival, Minnesota WebFest and the EDU Film Festival. Mingle with creators of films, television, streaming shows, podcasts and more from around the world … and our own backyard.
Wisconsin
Saturday, Sept. 30: Two events in the Bayfield Peninsula area on the same day commemorate the 1854 Treaty Day. From 9 a.m.-noon in Memorial Park on Madeline Island, there wil be Buffalo Pipe Tobacco/Food Offering & Treaty Talks. At noon, a new historical marker sharing the Anishinaabe migration story will be dedicated at the Madeline Island Museum as part of the 1854 Treaty Day commemoration activities. Remarks will be given by tribal leaders and a light lunch will follow at La Pointe School. (Check out the exhibit Convergence, featuring works by seven Anishinaabe artists at the musuem.) Then from 1-4 p.m. there will be an artists reception at the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center in Ashland to launch two exhibits: Women and Water: Woven Portraits from Around the World featuring award-winning artist Mary Burn’s beautiful jacquard weavings and Red Cliff Pow-Wo Portraits: A Celebration of Community by artist David Stock, who has painted Red Cliff dancers and has more than 25 portraits in the exhibit.
Thursdays, Oct. 5, 12, 19 & 23: Music in the Movies (fall edition) by the University of Wisconsin-Superior. This four-part series, facilitated by Dr. Erin Aldridge, will look at the fascinating world of music in movies, showcasing important scores like the “talkies” to the present day. From various styles and approaches to genres and composers, you’ll learn how music and silence can work with each scene, including its integration on the conscious and subconscious levels. This course, taught on campus, 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, is geared toward adults 55 and older. No prior musical or film knowledge necessary.
Ontario
Today-Friday, Sept. 28-29: The DIY Comedy Tour wraps up its trip across the top of Lake Superior with a show in Wawa 8 p.m. tonight at the Lakeview Hotel and 8 p.m. Friday at Shooters Downstairs Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie.
Saturday, Sept. 30: Fort William Historical Park in Thunder Bay will offer free admission to the historic site from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and to Orange Shirt Day, which brings attention to the effects of residential schools and their legacy for Indigenous peoples. "At Fort William Historical Park," the park notes, "Indigenous knowledge, traditions, languages, history, skills, and technologies are vital components to the experience shared with visitors, students, and employees. We hope that through our education programs and visitor experiences, we can help others realize the importance of truth and reconciliation." The Survivors Flag (pictured in orange above) expresses remembrance to honour residential school survivors.
Sunday, Oct. 1: Algoma Conservatory hosts a 7:30 p.m. Spirit '20 Concert at The Loft in Sault Ste. Marie with six of North America's finest chamber music players: James Campbell on clarinet, Mark Fewer on violin, John Novacek on piano, Guy Few on trumpet, Chloe Domingues on cello and Christian Sharpe on bassoon.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING …
The price of a subscription to Lake Superior Magazine goes up on Sunday, Oct. 1. For those who'd like to subscribe at the current rate and save on a 1- or 2-year sub, log onto LakeSuperiorMagazine.com before Sunday.
Photo & graphic credits: Jerry Eliason & Ken Merryman; Detroit Publishing Co. via Library of Congress; Bill Beckstrand; Mark Hollabaugh; Sisu and Löyly Nordic Sauna; Cedar + Stone Nordic Saunas; Marie Zhuikov/Wisconsin Sea Grant; Sharon Moen/Wisconsin Sea Grant; Duluth Superior Film Fest/Mary Burns:Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center/Fort William Historical Park