At the time of her launch in 1958, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was the largest freighter on the Great Lakes. For 17 years the Fitzgerald hauled taconite iron ore from the mines near Duluth, MN to Detroit and other Great Lakes ports setting records for seasonal hauls six times. Big Fitz became a legend when the ship went down on Lake Superior during a winter storm on November 10, 1975. Sailing in company of the Arthur M Anderson, the Fitzgerald took on a heavy list and continued for several hours. At last check, Captain Ernest McSorely of the Fitzgerald radioed, "We are holding our own." Moments later the ship went down without so much as a distress call. All 29 hands were lost.
There are several theories about what caused the ship to sink so suddenly but the truth will probably never be known. One leading theory is that the ship touched bottom and began taking on water after sustaining hull damage. 2015 marked the 40th anniversary of the sinking and this print release commemorates the legendary ship and crew.