Great Lakes Maritime History Project

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Photo, Crew standing on the shipwrecked George M. Cox, May 1933
Annotation

Dedicated to recording the maritime history of Wisconsin (especially Lake Michigan and Lake Superior), this site features more than 7,000 documents, advertisements, and photographs of ships associated with Wisconsin waters since 1679. Geared toward the specialist as well as the beginner, the site contains a list of the more than 400 ships registered in Wisconsin over the years, as well as useful descriptions of the types of ships.

The collection is searchable by keyword and browsable. The quality of the photographs varies; some are small files, while others are quite large. The site recommends six related outside resources. This site would be very useful to anyone interested in the history of Wisconsin maritime shipping, passenger cruises, or naval history.

Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site [NY]

Description

The Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site preserves Fort Niagara, founded in 1726. The majority of structures on site date from the 18th and 19th centuries. The fort is strategically located at the mouth of the Niagara River. As a result, it was crucial to deciding American dominance in the Great Lakes Region, as opposed to control by the French or British. Both the British and French controlled either the fort itself or the site of the fort at various points of time. Soldiers lived and trained on site for both World Wars. The fort also shaped the history of the Iroquois. Collections include more than 102,000 artifacts.

The site offers period rooms, student programs, guided tours for students, school overnight programs, school outreach programs, and school distance learning programs. The website offers a virtual tour.

Detroit Historical Society and Museums [MI]

Description

Established in 1921, the Detroit Historical Society’s mission is to educate and inspire the Detroit community and museum visitors by preserving and portraying the region’s shared history through dynamic exhibits and experiences. The Society is responsible for the overall management and operations of the Detroit Historical Museum, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, and a collection of more than 200,000 artifacts. The Detroit Historical Museum is focused purely on the history of Detroit, while the Dossin Great Lakes Museum is America's finest inland lakes maritime museum.

The museums offer guided tours, a variety of exhibits, and a variety of events throughout the year. The site offers visitor information, information regarding the society's historical collections, an online store, and information on upcoming events and programs.

Erie County Historical Society and Museum [PA]

Description

The Erie County Historical Society is dedicated to preserving the unique historical heritage of Erie, Pennsylvania, and the surrounding area. The society runs two museums, the Battles Museums of Rural Life and the Museum of Erie County History, and also operates two historic house museums, the Cashier's House and the Watson-Curtze Mansion. Finally, the society owns and operates the Erie Planetarium, a prime attraction for school groups and visitors of all ages.

The society offers guided tours, exhibits, traveling exhibits, school outreach programs featuring 60-90 minute presentations, planetarium shows, and special events. The website offers visitor information, histories of the society and its attractions, a calendar of events, and information regarding the educational programs offered by the society.

Great Lakes Maritime Education Workshop

Description

Participants will step back in time to a simpler life on uninhabited St. Helena Island. Participants will be immersed in the life and times of Great Lakes lighthouse keepers, including history, culture, and songs. Educators and youth leaders will sleep in the lighthouse bedrooms, cook with each other in the summer kitchen, and keep watch on the lantern deck as lighthouse families did 100 years ago. Activity classes, all based on the Michigan State Standards, offer the participant a means to integrate real world Great Lakes concepts into their classrooms. Some examples of these activities include topographical mapping, lens/prism and sound technology, use of primary reference materials, storytelling, journal entry, and decision making, to name just a few.

Contact email
Sponsoring Organization
Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association
Phone number
1 231-436-5580
Target Audience
K-12
Start Date
Cost
$275
Course Credit
For additional fees, Central Michigan University will offer 2 graduate credit hours and the Eastern UP ISD will offer 2.7 SB-CEUs.
Duration
Five days
End Date