THUNDER BAY – HISTORY – The Great Lakes, with their vast stretches of deep, cold freshwater and sudden, violent storms, have long been a graveyard for ships and sailors. Over the centuries, more than 6,000 vessels have been lost beneath their waves, with countless lives claimed in tragic accidents and fierce gales.
While many today are aware of the Edmund Fitzgerald sinking, there is a long history of ships going down on the Great Lakes.
Among these wrecks, some stories stand out—not merely for the disasters themselves, but for the eerie tales that followed.
These are the “ghost ships” of the Great Lakes: vessels said to haunt the waters long after sinking, appearing as apparitions on foggy nights or reappearing with no crew aboard. Here’s a look at some of the most legendary.
1. The Bannockburn: The Flying Dutchman of Lake Superior
One of the most famous ghost ships on the Great Lakes is the Bannockburn, a Canadian grain freighter that disappeared on Lake Superior in November 1902 during a vicious storm. The ship was last seen by the Algonquin, another steamer, but then vanished without a trace. No distress call was ever sent, and no wreckage was ever found.
Soon, sailors began reporting sightings of a phantom freighter matching the Bannockburn’s description, sailing silently through the mists of Superior. Often seen on stormy nights, the ghostly ship is said to be a warning to mariners of rough weather ahead. Over time, she became known as “The Flying Dutchman of the Great Lakes.”
2. The Western Reserve and the “Ghost Wheelman”
In August 1892, the Western Reserve broke apart in a storm on Lake Superior, sinking quickly and killing 31 of the 32 people aboard. The lone survivor, wheelsman Harry Stewart, reported that the ship had simply “broke in two” mid-voyage. What makes this tragedy so haunting is not only the abrupt loss, but the legend that followed.
Sailors on other vessels later reported ghostly sightings of the Western Reserve, with one bizarre twist: a spectral figure—believed to be Stewart’s phantom—was seen still manning the helm, guiding the broken ship through the fog.
3. The Erie Board of Trade Ghost Ship
In the early 1900s, fishermen on Lake Erie told tales of encountering a ghost schooner near Long Point, Ontario. The ship, often seen at twilight, would appear to be sailing normally before vanishing into thin air or slipping silently beneath the waves.
Though no exact match was ever made, many believe the vessel to be a long-lost cargo schooner from the 1800s that disappeared in a storm with no trace. To this day, reports occasionally trickle in of a three-masted schooner appearing out of the mist and sailing off into nothingness.
4. The Griffin: LaSalle’s Lost Vessel
Possibly the oldest Great Lakes ghost ship is Le Griffon, built by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in 1679. It was the first European-style ship to sail the upper lakes, but after departing Green Bay loaded with valuable furs, it vanished without a trace. No confirmed wreckage has ever been found, despite centuries of searching.
Legends persist that Le Griffon still sails the upper lakes, especially Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, appearing briefly before disappearing again into the mists. Some even believe she’s cursed, as La Salle himself was later murdered by his own men during a southern expedition.
Why the Ghost Ships Endure
The Great Lakes are unique among inland waterways: their size, depth, and weather patterns make them as dangerous as any ocean. Add to that the sheer number of vessels lost and the often incomplete records of early shipping, and it’s easy to see how legends were born. Many of these sightings may have rational explanations—misidentified vessels, weather phenomena, or the tricks of fog and moonlight—but to those who work the lakes, the stories remain chillingly real.
Whether as metaphors for loss, warnings of danger, or echoes of unresolved tragedy, the ghost ships of the Great Lakes remind us that history is always just beneath the surface—sometimes quite literally.
