LEGENDS OF THE GREAT LAKES: The Freshwater Pirate
There are epic stories of success, adventure, and tragedy that originate from the Great Lakes region. Some you have heard, some you have not. A few of these stories have survived for generations and become legends. The best of these tall tales can be found here in LEGENDS OF THE GREAT LAKES, an occasional series within our retooling tour. This installment will feature Roaring Dan Seavey, The Freshwater Pirate of the Great Lakes.
You've never heard of Roaring Dan Seavey? Well, read on and get educated...
Dan Seavey was born in 1867, far from freshwater whitecaps, and lake effect snows, in the town of Portland, Maine.
He was drawn to life on the sea from an early age. Dan became a sailor at 13 and had a brief stint with the Navy during his late teens. He took time away from sailing to settle in Northern Wisconsin. Marinette, Wisconsin to be exact. Dan began to raise a family, and then moved south to Milwaukee where he started a farm.
He also ran a saloon and worked as a fisherman. His many life skills made him a prosperous man.
In 1898, Dan heard news of prospectors finding piles of gold in the Alaskan gold rush. He was hungry for adventure and wanted to strike it rich.
He took a big risk, and headed off to mine for his fortune. Unfortunately, the journey cost him almost everything...
Financially ruined from his expedition, he returned home in 1900. His hopes of riches had forced him into rags.
He used his last pennies to move his family north to Escanaba, Michigan. Once there, he recalled his seafaring days, and took possession of a schooner he named the Wanderer. Dan had fallen far from his fruitful life of fishing, farming, and business. His greed lead him down a dark, unethical path. Dan Seavey gathered a group of men and they all set out on Lake Michigan as pirates.
Dan committed all sorts of crimes as he sailed the lakes. Some of his underhanded tricks included darkening lighthouses, or moving marker buoys. This caused ships to inadvertently smash into unseen rocks, or beach on sandbars. Once the ship was helpless, Roaring Dan would strike and steal the goods on board.
Roaring Dan's most notorious crime took place in the summer of 1908. He pulled into the harbor at Grand Haven, Michigan and spotted a schooner named the Nellie Johnson. He decided to hijack the ship. He made friends with the crew and provided them with all the alcohol they could drink. Once the crew was intoxicated beyond all reason, Dan tossed them overboard, and took off with the ship. The Wanderer followed close behind.
Roarin' Dan's illegal ways had made him a public enemy. He was pursued by the law and arrested a few days after making off with the Nellie Johnson. He was charged with piracy and taken to Chicago for trial.
Shockingly, the owner of the Nellie Johnson failed to appear at the trial. The charges were dropped and Dan was set free. For the rest of his days he claimed that he had actually won the Nellie Johnson in a poker game aboard the ship.
Even more surprising was how Roaring Dan spent the twilight of his sailing career: He took a job with the U.S. Marshal Service. His tasks? Fighting smuggling, poaching... and piracy, on Lake Michigan.
The Wanderer burned in 1918, forcing Dan to switch to a 40 foot motor boat.
He finally retired from the lakes in the late 1920's. Dan Seavey died in 1949 and was buried in Marinette, Wisconsin.
So there you have it. The tale of Roaring Dan Seavey. Moral of his story: 'Don't be a criminal'. I had heard his story before, and I sourced Wikipedia for most of the information.
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Have a good, safe week!
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