ship

Historic J.B. Ford Freighter Catches Fire in Duluth Scrapyard

Firefighters were able to knock down the flames within an hour, and no one was injured.

DULUTH, Minn.- A busy day for the Duluth Fire Department brought them to a fire aboard the century-old J.B. Ford freighter in the Duluth port Monday — and age seemed to work against the ship, its old bones proving to be easily flammable. The J.B. Ford is the oldest intact lake freighter still floating, launching in 1903 in Ohio. It…

Little Boat that Could: 2nd Grade Duluth Class Boat Survives 27 Years on Lake

An Ashland couple discovered the small wooden vessel on its journey to the ocean.

DULUTH, Minn.- Ships coming in off Lake Superior is a common sight on Northland shores. But a small wooden boat found on the Apostle Islands has a history as long as a barge, starting in Duluth in 1993. “We were just in the right place at the right time,” said Mike BeBeau Sunday. Mike and his wife Lynn happened upon…

28 Years After Wedding Aboard “Tregurtha” Woman Sees Ship Again

Woman who married the Captain aboard his ship watches it sail under the Aerial Lift Bridge

DULUTH, Minn.- Many people can name the venue where they had their wedding, but not many can say they see it go by in Lake Superior. The most memorable part of Joan Coughlin’s wedding wasn’t that her best friend was her bridesmaid, or that her soon-to-be husband sailed the Great Lakes for 55 years. The biggest part of Coughlin’s wedding…

The Bell Tolls for the Edmund Fitzgerald

Commemoration of Shipwreck Held at Split Rock

TWO HARBORS, Minn.- On November 10th, 43 years ago, a tragedy rocked Lake Superior. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald ship sank, taking all 29 crew members with it. On Saturday that ship, and those lives lost, were honored at Split Rock Lighthouse. One might expect this event to be one full of sorrow, and grief. But 43 years later, a mix…

William A. Irvin Closed for the Year

There is no Completion Date set for the Cleanup Project

DULUTH, Minn. – The William A. Irvin will be closed for the remainder of the year according to city officials. Repairs to the seawall are still underway, but the Minnesota Slip cleanup will not begin until this fall. For cleanup to happen the Irvin will need to be moved out of the slip which comes with a cost. The city…