Naval – Military History of the Upper Great Lakes

There are many ships of all sizes on display in the Great Lakes, as well as a number of shipwrecks. Here is what we are writing about lately.

Peterson Building, Inc. MinesweepersCal McCarty
Peterson Builders, Inc. was considered “the builders of minesweepers of the world.” Being a shipyard that was able to build a ship out of many materials, Peterson Builders, Inc. (PBI) ...
HMS St. LawrenceTrevor Banas
Overview History of the HMS St. Lawrence During the War of 1812, the Great Lake Ontario was landlocked, forcing both the colonies and the British to build warships on the lake ...
The Retrofit of USS SableAlex Kelly
The USS Sable was an aircraft carrier that was used to train pilots and carrier personnel in the Great Lakes region during WWII. Before the Sable was an aircraft carrier, it ...
MCM Avenger (MCM-1)Matt Wellach
The USS Avenger was the lead ship of her class of the mine countermeasures ship (or MCM), built by Peterson Shipbuilders in Sturgeon Bay, WI. The ship was commissioned on ...
The Burning of the USS EssexGriffin Curtis
The USS Essex III, was sloop-of-war serving the US Navy from 1876-1931. Its service varied during this period, from its operations in active duty to its time in various reserve ...
Emergency Shipbuilding Program in the Duluth Harbo…Nick Schaefer
The Duluth harbor played a key role in World War II. With our declaration of war in 1941 after Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt declared that the United States must “overwhelm” ...
USS SilversidesZachary DeKraker
The USS Silversides was one of the finest submarines called for during the onset of World War 2, and had one of the most impressive service records. Commissioned one week ...
US Coast Guard Cutter EscanabaBrian Brook
On the frigid morning of Friday, December 9, 1932, citizens of Grand Haven, Michigan gathered on the Government Basin pier. Cheers rose as the United States Coast Guard’s newest cutter, Escanaba, ...
John Philip Sousa at the GLNSTheron Krapek
John Philip Sousa was born in 1854 in Washington DC, not far from the barracks where his father was a musician in the marine band. He was born to Antonio ...
Gerald Ford on the USS MontereyJoe Mayrose
Gerald Ford, like many presidents. served in the US military before his election to public office. He had attended the University of Michigan and Yale and majored in law. He was a ...
Eddie Albert in the battle of TarawaJacob Damiani
Eddie Albert Heimberger was famous for his acting skills but few know of his heroism in WW2. Eddie in the battle of Tarawa disobeyed his orders to collect reusable supplies ...
U.S. Army Waste DisposalLexie Keena
In 1959, the U.S. Army contracted with Honeywell Inc., located in Arden Hills, Minnesota, to make classified anti-personnel grenades and mines. Due to the ammunitions being classified material, disposal of ...
Coast Guard at the Grand Traverse LighthouseLaura Khoury
Before the United States Coast Guard Before the creation of the modern day U.S. Coast Guard, there were four small organizations that helped to aid in the assistance and safety of ...
German Submarine UC-97Michael Lemmer
At the bottom of Lake Michigan lies the German Submarine UC-97. It was fired upon and sunk 20 miles off the shore of Grant Park in Chicago as part of ...
USS-Cobia, Manitowoc, WisconsinJordan Van Calster
The USS Cobia is a National Historic Landmark held at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This museum displays the historic submarine for all to see. It is open ...