On November 18, 1914, the Steamship C.F. Curtis was towing the schooner barges Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson from Baraga, Michigan (Lake Superior) to Tonawanda, New York, all with a load of lumber. The three ships soon found themselves battling through howling winds, snow squalls and punishing waves. Sadly, the Curtis, Marvin, and Peterson were never seen again. Not one person from the trio survived, 28 lives were lost that day. 

In 2021, GLSHS located nine lost vessels including the C.F. Curtis. But questions remained regarding the locations of the Marvin and the Peterson. One year later in the summer of 2022 the crew in the Shipwreck Society’s research vessel, David Boyd, came across another shipwreck within a few miles of the Curtis. After putting the organization’s ROV on the wreck it soon became apparent that the Marvin had been located. 

Finding the Curtis and the Marvin are significant historic discoveries in American history as they were all part of the Hines Lumber industry, one of the biggest lumber companies of that era. On November 18th, 1914, they lost almost one quarter of their fleet in one storm. 

“The combined losses of the C.F. Curtis, Selden E. Marvin and Annie M. Peterson have comprised one of the more tragic stories of shipwreck on the Great Lakes and certainly became one of the Lake Superior’s enduring mysteries,” said Bruce Lynn, executive director of the GLSHS. “To locate the Curtis and Marvin in a space of two years has been amazing. Now we just have to find the Peterson.” 

The GLSHS continues to search for the Peterson.