From World War II submarines to 19th-century trade shipwrecks, the Wisconsin Maritime Museum tells a story of how the Great Lakes connected two nations through commerce, shaping their cultures through shared waterways and maritime history.
While museums like this one provide an incredible opportunity for the public to learn about the past, few might also consider that destinations like the Wisconsin Maritime Museum could offer lessons in Canadian–American relations.
Today, the Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—link parts of Canada and the United States, serving as hubs for trade, recreation, and transportation. In the 1800s, Wisconsin’s waterways were vital trade routes for both Indigenous peoples and European settlers. Through the exchange of furs, agricultural goods, and manufactured products, the Lake Michigan trade routes became lifelines for communities across both nations.
Many of the 19th-century shipwrecks off Wisconsin’s coast carried goods bound for Canadian markets. Schooners transporting grain or lumber from U.S. ports to Ontario often faced fierce storms or navigational hazards, leaving behind the remnants of cross-border trade beneath the waves.
Kevin Cullen, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, tells The Debrief in an email, “The Great Lakes are a system of inland freshwater seas connecting eight U.S. states and the international border with the Canadian province of Ontario. Since the early 1800s, trade and transportation across this maritime border have played a significant role in the economic prosperity of both nations. The floodgates really opened in international trade when Canada opened the Welland Canal in 1829, connecting Lake Ontario with Lake Erie.”
A highlight of the museum is The Klopp Collection, featuring roughly 10,000 shipwreck artifacts from 41 historic vessels—one of the largest such collections in the Great Lakes region.
“One of the shipwrecks we highlight at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum that speaks to this international trade is the sidewheel steamship Niagara (1845–1856),” Cullen said. “This vessel was carrying hundreds of passengers and tons of cargo from Collingwood, Ontario, on its final voyage before it burned off the coast of Port Washington in September 1856.
Of the close to 3,000 artifacts the museum currently has from the shipwreck, an impressive array of historical objects helps to convey stories about the lives and identities of its passengers. “Jewelry from East Asia, objects from southern Spain, ceramics and silverware from England, coins from banks in Canada and the U.S., all help articulate a chapter in our nation’s history and the commodities and personal possessions that were in vogue before the Civil War,” Cullen says.
Underground Railroad and the Great Lakes
A lesser-known chapter of Great Lakes history involves the Underground Railroad. During the mid-1800s, the Great Lakes offered a path to freedom for enslaved African Americans seeking refuge in Canada. Schooners and steamers became escape vessels, guided by abolitionists and sympathetic crews who risked their lives to help freedom seekers cross the border.
“In the Great Lakes, we’re only beginning to unravel the maritime dimensions of the Underground Railroad. Our research is pointing to a system of ship captains and their owners who by the 1850s were aligned with Abolitionist ideologies, where their vessels played a crucial role in delivering freedom seekers to Canada,” Cullen notes.
Disguised as crew members, African Americans often found refuge aboard Great Lakes vessels, hoping to start new lives across the border. Wisconsin, admitted to the Union as a free state in 1848, had a strong anti-slavery stance, and many residents supported abolitionist causes.
“Depending on the circumstance, these freedom seekers would have either been hidden aboard these ships or were integrated into the crew for safe passage to Canada,” Cullen says.
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum highlights this history, emphasizing the role Great Lakes vessels played in aiding enslaved individuals.
“The shipwreck NIAGARA speaks to this history, and some of the artifacts that are personal possessions (shoes, combs, pocket knives, jewelry, etc.) may be from an African American formerly enslaved, or indentured, freedom seeker,” adds Cullen.
Cross-Cultural Connection through Resources
Beyond the moral contrasts between Canada and the United States in the 1800s, both nations shared many cultural similarities born from everyday trade. Canadian timber supplied American shipyards, while U.S. grain fed Canadian towns.
Labor and culture intertwined as crews aboard schooners and steamships often included Canadians, Americans, and European immigrants—Irish, German, Scandinavian, and Polish—working side by side. Port cities like Milwaukee, Chicago, Toronto, and Kingston became cosmopolitan hubs where sailors, merchants, and families from both sides of the border converged.
USS Cobia
The Wisconsin Maritime Museum is perhaps best known for its massive submarine exhibit—the USS Cobia. Retired after serving in World War II, the vessel remains fully operational as a museum and has been meticulously restored to reflect its wartime condition.
Launched in 1943, the Cobia completed six war patrols in the Pacific between 1944 and 1945. On its first patrol in the South China Sea, the submarine sank the Japanese freighter Kashi Maru—the first of 13 vessels it destroyed, totaling more than 18,000 tons of enemy shipping. The Cobia also served as an air defense and rescue craft, saving downed Allied aviators. For its endurance and valor, the submarine earned four battle stars.
While Cobia did not operate in Canadian waters, its legacy is deeply connected to the Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company in Wisconsin, which built 28 submarines during World War II.
“When it comes to Manitowoc’s role in supporting and building naval watercraft during WWII, the impact cannot be overstated,” says Cullen. “A total of 28 submarines and 37 landing craft tanks (LCTs) were built and launched by that company. This was the only inland port community that produced submarines for the war effort. Its strategic mid-continental location made it ideal for ensuring these assets would be protected. The legacy of this company endures in Manitowoc, and the location of the shipyard still produces large cranes for the Navy.”
“When it comes to Manitowoc’s role in supporting and building naval watercraft during WWII, the impact of Manitowoc Shipbuilding cannot be overstated. A total of 28 submarines and 37 landing craft tanks (LCTs) were built and launched by that company,” adds Cullen. “This was the only inland port community that produced submarines for the war effort, which, because of its strategic mid-continental location, made it ideal for ensuring these assets would be protected.
“The legacy of this company endures in Manitowoc, and the location of the shipyard still produces large cranes for the Navy,” Cullen says.
Sistering Countries
As fall 2025 approaches, relations between Canada and the United States have faced renewed tension. President Trump’s ongoing threats to raise tariffs have added strain to the relationship, leading to economic disruption in the Great Lakes region of both nations. These conditions have altered trade patterns, stressed long-standing partnerships, and affected key industries including steel, aluminum, and agriculture.
“The legacy of historic trade routes is very much present to this day,” Cullen says. “While there is less commercial traffic by number of vessels on the Great Lakes, the volume of these commodities is bigger than ever. It’s because the ships have gotten bigger, and the demand continues to increase for limestone, grain, iron ore, etc.”
“The role of the Saint Lawrence Seaway is equally vital as a conduit to the Atlantic Ocean and thereby the rest of the world. This $6 trillion economic impact between the eight U.S. states and Canada is the third largest economy in the world if aggregated together,” he adds.
Despite their differences, the U.S. and Canada remain bound by shared geography, history, and love of the Great Lakes. Whether for trade or recreation, these freshwater seas continue to unite both nations—a reminder that the bond forged through open waters and common purpose endures.
Chrissy Newton is a PR professional and the founder of VOCAB Communications. She currently appears on The Discovery Channel and Max and hosts the Rebelliously Curious podcast, which can be found on YouTube and on all audio podcast streaming platforms. Follow her on X: @ChrissyNewton, Instagram: @BeingChrissyNewton, and chrissynewton.com.