O
ne of the most famous wrecks on the east shore of Lake Michigan is that of the 653-ton sidewheel
steamer Alpena, which disappeared in October 1880 during a storm that was so devastating to Great
Lakes boats and shipping that it has forever been known afterward as the “Big Blow.”
Alpena, built in Marine City by Gardner, Ward & Gallagher in 1866 and eventually sold to Goodrich,
left Grand Haven, Michigan bound for Chicago on a Friday evening at about 9:30 p.m. While the weather
was beautiful the day she left port, a violent storm was predicted for later that evening. By 3 a.m. Saturday
morning, a hurricane-like gale swept through the area.
After a time, Aplena was spotted lying on her side, with one of her paddles out of the water. It’s reported
that she drifted some 15 to 20 miles over the next day or so, ultimately washing up as mere pieces of debris
on the shores of Grand Haven sometime Sunday morning.
While an exact number of victims could not be determined with any certainty — because the only passenger
record was on board the boat itself — it was estimated that there were approximately 45 passengers and 25
crew members aboard Aplena.
— text excerpted from an article by Joel Lefever; painting by Gary Odmark, GWODMARK.COMLAKELANDBOATING.COM | APRIL 2015 3 9Odmark_MAR15.indd 39 3/2/15 12:29 PM