The mystery and lore of lighthouse life is shared through the personal stories of several individuals. Lorraine Paris at the old Presque Isle Lighthouse tells of the "Spirit Light" which glows in her tower every night though all power lines were disconnected long ago. The Coast Guard investigated but has no explanation. Could the kind spirit of her late husband be responsible?

The Mystery of The Edmund Fitzgerald
You've heard the story of the ill-fated Edmund Fitzgerald, the 729-foot freighter that sank in a violent Lake Superior storm in November 1975. There has been no greater loss in Great Lakes history and very few disasters anywhere have captured the imaginations of marine enthusiasts in such a compelling fashion. Southport Video takes you to the site of the famous vessel's resting place.

The Fatal Collision of the S.S. Cedarville
In the late-morning hours of May 7, 1965, the S.S. Cedarville, a giant self-loading ore carrier, was attempting to work its way through dense fog in the Straits of Mackinac when it slammed into the Topdalsfjord, a Norwegian merchant ship. Fatally wounded, the Cedarville made a frantic last-ditch attempt to reach safety, only to fail and sink within less than a half-hour of the collision. Ten members of the ship's crew lost their lives.

The Demise of The Daniel J. Morrell
On November 29, 1966, while traveling on Lake Huron on its last voyage of the shipping season, the Daniel J. Morrell, caught in a terrible storm, broke in two and sank beneath the lake's icy waters, claiming 28 of its 29 officers and crew members. Amazingly, one crew member, clad on in under shorts and a peacoat, endured the tragedy, bobbing on a pontoon-style life raft for 36 hours until he was sighted and rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter.

Collision Course:Three Whitefishbay Shipwrecks
Lake Superior has claimed over five hundred vessels in its illustrious maritime history. Some of the most intriguing of these shipwrecks have occurred around the Whitefish Bay area.

Huge commercial vessels have battled the elements on the lake for over a century, with many falling victim to vicious storms and monstrous waves, others, such as the three ships examined on this video, were sunk after terrible collisions on the open water.

Wreck of The Car Ferry, Milwaukee
Fall 1929 would go down in Great Lakes maritime history as one of the roughest seasons on record. At a time when the stock market was taking a plunge and the American economy was heading into its Great Depression, business interests on Lake Michigan were being battered by the furious forces of nature.

The S.S. Milwaukee, one of the lake's many victims, was a huge, sturdy car ferry that traveled regularly from Michigan to Wisconsin. Its skipper, Captain John "Heavy Weather" McKay, was known for his navigational abilities, especially in rough, unpredictable waters. Where other ships would falter in an unforgiving sea, McKay plowed on through.

SUPERIOR LIGHTS ON THE SHIPWRECK COAST

Lake Superior Lighthouses Volume 3
The Voyageurs in Birch Bark canoes, the Schooners, Steamers and Freighters - the Soo Locks, Lake Superiors original Life-Saving Service Stations, and SHIPWRECKS and LIGHTHOUSES. It's all in this 58 minute video documentary that includes the first lighthouse on Lake Superior, WHITEFISH POINT.

ISLE ROYALE LIGHTS

Lake Superior Lighthouses Volume 2 

Four lighthouses were built on Isle Royale: Rock Harbor in 1855; Menagerie Island in 1875; Passage Island in 1882 and Rock of Ages in 1908. 

Now if you've still got your Lake Superior map out, look north from the Keweenaw: that island you see out there is the largest island in the Great Lakes: