The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has released images of two ships that sank in Lake Superior in 1914, after picking up a load of lumber in Michigan.
According to a press release from the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), on Nov. 18, 1914, the Steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the lumber-loaded, schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson from Baraga, Michigan to Tonawanda, New York. They were carrying more than 3 million board feet of lumber.
The three ships soon found themselves battling through high winds, snow squalls and punishing waves. The storm battered the vessels and all three disappeared off Grand Marais, Mich., with the loss of everyone on board. The ships’ whereabouts were unknown for more than a century.
In 2021, GLSHS located nine lost vessels including the C.F. Curtis. The discovery was a highlight for the team that summer. However, finding the C.F. Curtis was only a piece of the puzzle.
One year later in the summer of 2022, the crew in the shipwreck society’s research vessel, David Boyd, came across another shipwreck within a few miles of the Curtis. After putting the organization’s ROV on the wreck, it soon became apparent that the Marvin had been located.
“The combined losses of the C.F. Curtis, Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson have comprised one of the more tragic stories of shipwreck on the Great Lakes and certainly became one of the Lake Superior’s enduring mysteries.” Executive Director, Bruce Lynn, of the GLSHS said. “To locate the Curtis and Marvin in a space of two years has been amazing. Now we just have to find the Peterson!”
When the GLSHS first saw the name Selden E. Marvin is an event that can never be reproduced. The raw emotion and joy of a new find is intense, and we had cameras rolling capturing our excitement!
