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A crowd of about 2,000 people is expected to turn out next month when Split Rock Lighthouse and the Minnesota Historical Society host a memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10. 

The ship left port in Superior, Wis., in 1975 “With a load of iron ore, 26,000 tons more, than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty,” as immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s famous song about the wreck. The Fitz would have passed just a few miles off shore from Split Rock. 

For the past 40 years, the lighthouse has observed the anniversary with a ceremony in which the names of the 29 crew members who perished in Lake Superior are read aloud to the tolling of a ship’s bell. Then Split Rock’s beacon is lit in their honor.

This year’s event will continue that tradition. In addition, former Split Rock Lighthouse Site Manager Lee Radzak will discuss why he started the annual memorial 40 years ago.

“My first one that I attended was actually the first day I was here on site, back in 2019, and the emotional response that I had was just very striking to me,” recalls current site manager Hayes Scriven.

"Listening to the names and the bell being rung, and all of sudden the light comes on, it’s very moving."

Scriven said they’ve already sold more tickets in advance this year than they ever have for past events. He advises those interested in attending to arrive a few hours before it starts at 4 pm. Free shuttles will also be available from Silver Bay.

He believes there are a few reasons why the tragedy still resonates so deeply with people today. Many know it through the iconic song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.” There’s also the enduring mystery of what precisely led to the ship and crew’s demise.

Thousands of tourists flock to Duluth and the North Shore of Lake Superior to see up close the giant 1,000-foot freighters that carry iron ore and other materials across the Great Lakes. Scriven says many people have a hard time fathoming how one of those enormous ships could disappear.

“We’re just trying to provide a little place for memory and for remembrance and to really put into perspective the power of the lake,” Scriven says. “So that's why we think it's very important for us to keep doing this.”

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Two thousand people are expected at the 50th anniversary commemoration of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald at Split Rock Lighthouse on the North Shore of Lake Superior on Nov. 10.

Huge crowd expected for 50th anniversary memorial of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald

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