Elk Grove News Podcast - The Launch of The Edmund Fitzgerald
The Pride of the American Side was built in Detroit during its industrial zenith and sailed the Great Lakes for 17 years.
Many listeners will undoubtedly recognize our introduction music in this podcast as Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot’s Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
It was 50 years ago, on November 10, 1975, that the Great Lake freighter Lightfoot called the Pride of the American side, sank in a ferocious Lake Superior storm near Michigan’s Whitefish Point. The tragedy has become part of American folklore, particularly in the Great Lakes region of the United States.
Instead of talking about the sinking, we are taking a slightly different look at this now legendary ship. We will speak to a person who was at the June 1958 Launch of the Edmund Fitzgerald in River Rouge, Michigan.
Listen Time 16 Minutes 30 Seconds
Below is a video of the launch of the Fitzgerald. This Wikipedia entry on the "pride of the American side" provides a good overview of the ship's significance.
And of course, below is a video of Lightfoot's haunting masterpiece.
