Late in the 1926 shipping season, a storm ran two ships aground near the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula.
The City of Bangor, a freighter carrying cars from Detroit to Duluth, and the Thomas Maytham, carrying grain for Toledo, both wrecked during the storm.
The morning after the storm, a Coast Guard life-saving vessel traveling along the coast spotted the crew of the Bangor on the coast. The crew had made it ashore after releasing the lifeboats and were huddled around a small fire they’d made during the night. Several crew members suffered from hypothermia and were hospitalized for frostbite. The life-saving operation was able to rescue crewmembers from both vessels.
As ice formed around the City of Bangor, a team was sent to assess if any vehicles could be pulled from the ship. About 200 cars were salvaged from the ice-locked vessel and were later sold after being shipped by train from Calumet. The City of Bangor was considered a total loss. Steel salvaged from the wreck was used for World War II.
Today, visitors in Eagle Harbor can see one of the Chrysler vehicles saved from the wreck on display at the Eagle Harbor Coast Guard Life Saving Station and Museum, managed by the Keweenaw Historical Society.
Next month, the society will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the wreck, the President Mark Rowe receives the artwork during the annual KCHS Dinner. Included in the celebration, the society plans to begin accepting bids on the artwork, to help raise funds supporting preservation work at the life-saving station. The painting depicting the wreck and subsequent salvage efforts was created by Clyde Mikkola. The auction for the artwork will continue to accept bids through fall 2027. Before the society announces the winner of the artwork with the highest bid, the painting will remain on display at the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse history building and gift shop for the community to view.
Those interested in learning more can find details online.
