Hesper Shipwreck Artifacts Display Created at Silver Bay Marina
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Silver Bay Marina on Lake Superior at Silver Bay, Minnesota
Photo by Steve Daniel
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New Hesper Display Case is positioned to hold historic Shipwreck Artifacts
Photo by Steve Daniel
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Final Hesper Display Inside the Silver Bay Marina Lobby
Photo by Steve Daniel |
Corey & Abby Daniel (GLSPS), Heinz Ledowski (Silver Bay Yacht Club),
Jeremy Ksapidas (Marina Manager), Steve Daniel and Tom Breushaber (GLSPS)
Dedicate the Hesper Display Inside the Silver Bay Marina Lobby
Photo by Steve Daniel
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Hesper Shipwreck Artifacts Display Report
May 1, 2011
Several historic artifacts recovered several years ago were made available for a display at Silver Bay Marina. Don Matejcek, a GLSPS member and an active diver with the Owatonna Dive Club, asked if the GLSPS would build a display at Silver Bay Marina to house some artifacts from the Hesper Shipwreck. The shipwreck is located by the east side of the breakwater that forms the marina. The artifacts had been recovered years earlier and preserved. They included a porthole, pot belly stove door, a cook stove door, a butter churn top, a large engine wrench and several brass fitting from the engine.
A Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grant from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund was applied for through the Minnesota Historical Society. When the grant was awarded to the GLSPS, project director Steve Daniel asked Tom Brueshaber to arrange for the construction of the display case through a local carpentry firm. Steve arranged with Gary Grindle, a graphics artist, to create an interpretive sign with text provided by the project director. Tom built a pine frame, that matched the frame wood of the display case, to hold the sign.
Arrangements were made with Marie and Jerry Norick to loan the steel bell that Marie's grandfather had recovered from he sunken ship right after the unfortunate sinking in 1905. Her grandfather was Capt. Horace T. Thompson, a well known hard hat diver in the twin ports in the early 1900's. The ship was Dynamited after the bell recovery, to avoid it being a navigation hazard in the 40 foot depth.
After the display case was delivered to the Silver bay Marina at the end of April, Steve's son Corey and his daughter Abby helped transport the artifacts to Silver Bay Marina on Sunday, May 1, 2011. Jeremy Ksapidas, the marina manager, was on hand with Heintz Ledowski, commodore of the Silver Bay Yacht Club, to help position the display case and load the artifacts. Tom Brueshaber hung the sign above the display case so that visitors could learn from where the artifacts came.
The GLSPS appreciated the Fast track Grant from the MHS that helped make this display possible. The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grant from the Arts and cultural Heritage Fund was made possible through the vote of Minnesotans on November 4, 2008
