Painting donated to the Keweenaw Historical Society to raise funds
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EAGLE HARBOR -- A remarkable chapter in Great Lakes maritime history will be commemorated in September as the Keweenaw Historical Society marks the 100th anniversary of the wreck of the City of Bangor -- and the extraordinary rescue of its cargo of brand-new automobiles.
On Sept. 1, the historical society received a framed original painting by noted Upper Peninsula artist Clyde Mikkola, depicting the dramatic 1926 shipwreck and the unusual operation that followed: rescuing automobiles from a wrecked freighter in the depths of a cold Lake Superior January.
The City of Bangor was carrying a cargo of 248 new Chrysler cars from Detroit when it ran aground on a reef near Copper Harbor during a fierce November storm in 1926. The subsequent rescue of the automobiles was an extraordinary event, captured in Mikkola’s painting and preserved through historic photographs. When the water around the wrecked ship had frozen solid, an ice ramp was constructed, and the cars were driven off the ship.
The painting was presented to the society’s maritime chairman, Mark Rowe, and will become part of an effort to preserve and share the story of the City of Bangor and other historic sites throughout the U.P.
The Keweenaw Historical Society plans to auction the valuable original artwork to raise funds supporting its continuing historic-preservation efforts. Bids will be accepted through the fall of 2027.
Before the auction, the painting will be displayed at the Eagle Harbor Lighthouse history building gift shop, where visitors will have an opportunity to see the artwork and learn about the remarkable shipwreck story firsthand.
The painting is also featured on the cover of “Shipwreck and Rescued,” an award-winning book by Upper Peninsula author Larry Jorgensen, which tells the story of the City of Bangor, its wreck, and the remarkable rescue of its automobile cargo.
One of the rescued automobiles survives today and is displayed at the lighthouse museum, along with several historic photographs documenting the rescue.