SS Chester A. Congdon

The SS Chester A. Congdon is a major Lake Superior shipwreck at Isle Royale and the largest wreck there. Built in 1907 as Salt Lake City, the steel bulk freighter reflected the rise of large Great Lakes cargo vessels, with a largely unobstructed hold and capacity for 10,200 long tons. Renamed in 1912 for Duluth businessman Chester Adgate Congdon, she had a short career marked by repeated accidents. On November 6, 1918, while carrying wheat from Fort William, Ontario, thick fog and a missed fog signal led her onto Canoe Rocks near Passage Island. A storm soon split the ship in two, creating Lake Superior’s first million-dollar shipwreck.

Michigan · United States