"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead

When the skies of November turn gloomy..."

-Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Fifty years ago this week, the iron ore freighter S.S, Edmund Fitzgerald sank beneath the icy waters of Lake Superior, claiming the lives of 29 sailors.

In this episode, we recount her harrowing final voyage, and examine why, out of the hundreds of shipwrecks that have occurred Lake Superior, the Edmund Fitzgerald maintains such an enduring hold on popular memory and imagination.

A little tip—if you are somehow not already familiar with Gordon Lightfoot's iconic 1976 ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, go and give the song a listen before starting this episode, as we reference the song gratuitously.

[Content warning: tragic death, drowning]

___

You can find detailed show notes for this and all episodes at minnesotaunknown.com/podcast. We’ll post a link there to each episode along with features such as accompanying images, links to more info, and lists of sources cited.

If you have questions, comments, corrections, complaints, or compliments, or would like to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at info@minnesotaunknown.com. We’d truly love to hear from you.

___

Podcast Credits:

Minnesota Unknown is produced, hosted, written, and researched by Hannah Norton, Josie Bergmann, and myself, Alex Weston. This episode was edited by me. Our theme song is by Union Shakedown. This episode is copyright 2025 by Minnesota Unknown, LLC. All rights reserved.