2013: 26th Annual Spring Meeting and Evening Reception

The Wilderness Preserve will be hosting its 26th Annual Spring Meeting this coming Memorial Day weekend, Saturday May 25th, at the Madeline Island School of the Arts. The event will be an evening reception with an informal buffet of elegant and hearty hors d’oeuvres, complimentary wine service, and coffee/tea and assorted desserts (come with an appetite). This year's evening fare will again be provided by the highly acclaimed Ashland Baking Company. A social gathering and food service begins at 7:00 p.m., with the program beginning at 8:00 pm. This year’s program features Director (emeritus) of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center, Duluth:

THOM HOLDEN

“Shipwrecks of the Apostle Islands”

“There are many stories hidden among the islands and lighthouses of the Apostle Islands and Chequamegon Bay. This illustrated program gives a glimpse of several of these accidents, large and small, found and yet to be discovered; ships wrecked by fire, groundings, fog, and storms ... some lost, some recovered, some still missing. There are many pearls among this region's maritime jewels.”

Thom Holden developed a strong interest in Lake Superior and shipwreck history as a teenager as an offshoot of backpacking trips to Isle Royale National Park. He has written numerous articles on Lake Superior shipwrecks, is author of a small book entitled “Above and Below: A History of Lighthouses and Shipwrecks at Isle Royale”, and was the contributing editor in a major revision and expansion of Dr. Julius F. Wolff’s book, “Shipwrecks of Lake Superior” which remains the definitive reference on the subject.