Latest news with #WisconsinMaritimeMuseum
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Maritime Museum program to highlight lost story of Chinese survivors of Titanic
MANITOWOC – On April 15, 1912, as the RMS Titanic sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, just more than 700 people survived. Among those survivors were six Chinese seamen: Ah Lam, Chang Chip, Cheong Foo, Fang Lang (also known as Fong Wing Sun), Lee Bing and Ling Hee. Their survival defied overwhelming odds, but their stories were quickly buried beneath prejudice and xenophobia, according to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. Within 24 hours of reaching New York, the men were expelled from the United States under the Chinese Exclusion Act. For decades, their lives and experiences went unrecognized. That is until author and historian Steven Schwankert's years of investigation — including interviews with descendants and global archival research — led to the rediscovery of their forgotten legacy. Read more: Master woodcarver Richard A. Young to sell carvings for first time through auction at Inn on Maritime Bay Manitowoc's Wisconsin Maritime Museum will welcome Schwankert for a special presentation at 2 p.m. June 1 in which he will feature his book, 'The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic's Chinese Survivors.' The event is free and open to the public. In his presentation, Schwankert will delve into his research, which sheds light on the story of the six Chinese men who survived the infamous 1912 disaster. Tom Fong, son of survivor Fang Lang and a Wisconsin resident, will also join Schwankert for the presentation, offering a personal perspective on his father's story and reflecting on the broader impact of this history on his family. Read more: Manitowoc's harbor has had a lighthouse since 1840. Here's what to know about its legacy. Here's what to know if you go: What: 'The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic's Chinese Survivors,' with author and historian Steven Schwankert and Tom Fong, Wisconsin resident and son of survivor Fang Lang When: 2 p.m. June 1 Where: Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Drive, Manitowoc Admission and more information: Admission is free and open to the public. Call the museum at 920-684-0218 or go to Contact Brandon Reid at breid@ This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Chinese survivors of Titanic focus of Wisconsin Maritime Museum event
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Manitowoc's harbor has had a lighthouse since 1840. Here's what to know about its legacy.
Lighthouses have served as steadfast guardians of harbors around the world — and Manitowoc is no exception. Since 1839, after the Indigenous Menominee people ceded the land to the federal government, a lighthouse has kept watch over Manitowoc's harbor, guiding vessels and witnessing the town's growth and change. The city's first lighthouse was lit in 1840. Built at the corner of York and North Fifth streets, it included a brick tower and a home for the lighthouse keeper. By the 1860s, around 680 ships moved approximately 150,000 tons of cargo through the harbor each year — primarily lumber and wheat. As shipping traffic increased, so did the need for stronger navigational and safety aids. Construction of parallel piers began in 1867, and in December 1873, the North Pierhead Lighthouse was added. For a time, the keeper was responsible for both lights, until the original 1839 lighthouse was decommissioned in 1877. Further changes came in 1895 with the addition of a 400-foot breakwater and the construction of a fog signal building. Congress allocated $5,500 for the project, which added even more safety for ships navigating the busy mouth of the Manitowoc River. By 1910, the structures had been moved multiple times because of construction and instability. The Lighthouse Bureau ultimately recommended replacing the now-compromised breakwater light. After several appeals, Congress approved $21,000 for a new lighthouse in 1917. Construction on this new lighthouse started in May 1918, but was delayed six months as the money from the original appropriation ran out. A temporary oil light was put in until a permanent fourth-order Fresnel lens that was first lit on Dec. 13, 1919. It was also equipped with a powerful diaphone fog signal before construction was completed in June 1920. The Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse remains in place today, and the 1873 North Pierhead Light continued serving mariners until it was destroyed in a 1938 storm. Read more: Manitowoc lighthouse to be open for guided tours by the Wisconsin Maritime Museum Technology continued to modernize the lighthouse. In 1964, the fog signal was upgraded to an electric horn, and the lighthouse was automated in 1971. Then, in 2009, the Coast Guard declared it surplus property and put it up for public auction. The winning bid came from Philip Carlucci of New York, who later partnered with the Manitowoc Sunrise Rotary Club to restore the lighthouse and make it accessible to visitors. Read more: 10 things you may not know about Manitowoc's lighthouse Now, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum is helping preserve and interpret this iconic landmark. This summer, weather permitting, the museum will offer guided tours of the Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse. These tours will explore not only the harbor's maritime history, but also the evolution of lighthouse technology and the lives of the keepers who kept the light burning. For locals and visitors alike, it's a rare opportunity to connect with a living piece of Great Lakes history. For more details, visit our website, Serena Stuettgen is collections manager at Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc lighthouse will open for tours, legacy dates to 1840
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Maritime Museum's garden project assisted by $40,000 state grant
MANITOWOC – Wisconsin Maritime Museum's creation of the new Captain Carus Maritime Garden on Franklin Street is now being supported by a $40,000 Vibrant Spaces Grant. The grant comes from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and will help the museum "convert over 20,000 square feet of asphalt into a vibrant outdoor exhibit space and perennial garden," according to a new release from the museum. The new public space will be adjacent to the future Wisconsin Maritime Heritage Center, an extension of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, and will be situated on museum-owned property on the southwest corner of Franklin Street and 12th Street. Read more: Manitowoc lighthouse to be open for guided tours by the Wisconsin Maritime Museum The Captain Carus Maritime Garden, named in honor of Capt. Edward Carus, who lived and died on this historic property, will feature improvements such as replacing the asphalt with new planting areas and trees, and incorporating maritime artifacts into the landscape. The park will also include an outdoor classroom area, accessible parking, new lighting, updated signs and exterior enhancements to adjacent buildings. As the former home of Carus, the space will also feature a public archaeology component exploring the foundation of the Carus home. Read more: Must-see stops: Cobia submarine, a 'portal to hell' & more landmarks in Manitowoc County The news release states: "This transformation is the product of a strong and growing partnership between the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the City of Manitowoc. The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to revitalizing the Franklin Street corridor and celebrating Manitowoc's rich maritime heritage." Construction of the Garden is expected to begin this summer with an estimated opening date in 2026. Funding for the garden has also included grants from the Ruth St. John and John Dunham West Foundation and the Fund for Lake Michigan. Community fundraising and volunteer efforts will also support the project as it is implemented. Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@ This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Wisconsin Maritime Museum garden project assisted by $40K state grant
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Manitowoc awarded $40,000 grant for Captain Carus Maritime Garden, turning asphalt patch into lively vibrant space
MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – A large patch of asphalt in downtown Manitowoc will soon be transformed into a vibrant new public green space thanks to a state grant and a shared vision between the Wisconsin Maritime Museum and the City of Manitowoc. The two partners were awarded a $40,000 Vibrant Spaces Grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) to create the Captain Carus Maritime Garden, a 20,000-square-foot outdoor exhibit space and perennial garden at the southwest corner of Franklin and 12th Street. First 50 artists announced for Mile of Music 2025 in Appleton The site once housed the home of Captain Edward Carus, a Great Lakes ship captain for the Goddard Shipping Company. Born in Manitowoc shortly after the Civil War, Carus lived and died on the same property in 1947. He was also a maritime photographer and chronicler, with more than 3,000 of his images preserved in the museum's collection. 'This grant allows us to break ground on this park for Captain Carus,' said Kevin Cullen, executive director of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. 'He was a Great Lakes ship captain, born here in the 1860s and he lived and died on the property in 1947.' The garden will feature maritime artifacts, native landscaping, seating areas, an outdoor classroom and improved accessibility. It will also include updated signage, lighting and building enhancements in the surrounding area. Cullen says the museum plans to excavate the site and hopes to uncover part of the historic foundation of Carus' former home as part of a public archaeology component. The Captain Carus Maritime Garden will be located adjacent to the museum's collection storage facility, which is also undergoing renovation and will be reintroduced as the Wisconsin Maritime Heritage Center. The future center aims to provide more public access to thousands of artifacts currently stored behind the scenes. 'This is the first step in a public access space for seeing what other things happen behind the scenes in the museum,' Cullen said. 'We want this to be a multi-use event space for programming and a place for respite in an otherwise concrete jungle.' The City of Manitowoc sees the project as part of a broader revitalization effort for the Franklin Street corridor, with the garden expected to boost foot traffic and community engagement in the downtown area. University of Wisconsin-Green Bay honors inhabitants ahead of construction of new library Additional funding for the garden comes from the Ruth St. John and John Dunham West Foundation and the Fund for Lake Michigan. Community fundraising and volunteer efforts will also support the project through its construction phase. Groundbreaking is expected later this summer, with the garden opening to the public in 2026. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wisconsin Maritime Museum to honor Manitowoc-made USS Lagarto in remembrance ceremony
MANITOWOC – Wisconsin Maritime Museum will host a public ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the loss of USS Lagarto, a submarine built in Manitowoc during World War II, and the 20th anniversary of the submarine's discovery. "The tribute honors the 86-man crew who were lost on May 3, 1945, during Lagarto's second war patrol in the Pacific," the news release from Wisconsin Maritime Museum said. The ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. May 3 and include patriotic music, a reading of the names of the lost crew, a flower placement and the tolling of a memorial bell. Read more: Remembering Manitowoc subs lost during WWII The program also includes a flag presentation to the family members of a Lagarto crew member and a salute from USS Cobia. Lagarto was the 21st of 28 submarines built in Manitowoc during World War II. The keel was laid on Jan. 12, 1944. She was launched on May 28, 1944, and was commissioned Oct. 14, 1944. The submarine made two war patrols, during which she sank a Japanese submarine. Lagarto was ultimately sunk by the Japanese minelayer Hatsutaka in the Gulf of Thailand, a ship that had also depth-charged USS Cobia, according to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. The Hatsutaka was later sunk by USS Hawkbill, a fellow Manitowoc-built submarine. Read more: 'All my love': A WWII love story from sailor aboard Manitowoc-built USS Lagarto, lost in 1945 Lagarto's wreck was discovered in May 2005 in the Gulf of Thailand, nearly six decades after being sunk. The Wisconsin Maritime Museum collaborated with professional divers to study the site and spent more than a decade locating and connecting with the families of the lost crew. "Today, the USS Lagarto is honored as the official state boat of Wisconsin, a lasting tribute to her story and the men aboard," the news release said. Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@ This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: USS Lagarto remembrance ceremony set at Wisconsin Maritime Museum
