The S.S. Eastland was a Great Lakes excursion ship bound for Michigan City, Indiana, from Chicago, Illinois, on July 24, 1915. With 2,501 passengers on board, the ship capsized during boarding in the Chicago River. In the melee that ensued, 844 lives were lost, including mostly young women and children, and 22 entire families were lost that Saturday morning. An anchor chain of 844 individual links corresponds to the 844 victims, and at 265 feet in length it is equivalent to the length of the S.S. Eastland.

Photo: Lou Donkle

Photo: Susan Van Den Bosch

Photo: Susan Van Den Bosch

Michigan City, Indiana · USA