April 12, 2026

Chrysler Cars From City of Bangor – Horseshoe Harbor – Feb. 19, 1927

Black-And-White Photo Of Many Covered Vintage Cars Parked In Rows On A Snowy, Frozen Lake Superior Shoreline With The Open Horizon In The Distance.

This photo shows dozens of covered Chrysler cars lined up on Lake Superior ice at Horseshoe Harbor, east of Copper Harbor, on Feb. 19, 1927.

They were part of the cargo from the freighter City of Bangor, which was driven onto rocks along the Keweenaw Peninsula during a storm on Nov. 30, 1926. The ship was carrying 248 new Chryslers bound for Duluth. When the bay froze solid, crews built an ice-and-snow ramp, started the cars and drove them off the wreck and along the icy shoreline toward Copper Harbor. Reports say about 18 cars were lost overboard during the wreck, but most were eventually recovered and shipped out for repair and sale.

Have you ever heard this story from a parent or grandparent — or seen other photos from the salvage?

#CopperHarbor #Keweenaw #LakeSuperior #UpperPeninsula #MichiganHistory

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Michaela Nolte

Michaela is a history buff and loves to export historical markers and old buildings and seeks stories about Michigan and Great Lakes history. When she is not writing, you can find her with a good book sipping wine on the beach.

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