Reynolds' Pier

Reynolds' Pier. Wisconsin's Maritime Trails. Schooner Perry Hannah , Type: Wooden Schooner, two-masted , Built: 1859, Thomas Arnold, Newport, Mich. , Sank: October 16, 1880 , Length: 93’ Beam: 25’ , Cargo: Wood , Depth of Wreckage: 6’ , , Schooner Cecelia , Type: Wooden Schooner, three-masted , Built: 1868, James MacGiven, White Lake , Mich. , Sank: September 8, 1885 , Length: 118’ Beam: 26’ , Cargo: Wood , Depth of Wreckage: 6’ , , During the heyday of Wisconsin’s lumber industry, Jacksonport’s business and community life centered around three large piers near this spot. Each pier had its own general store and lumber mill. Wooden schooners called “lumber hookers,” often crowded the piers to load cordwood, shingles, and posts bound for the ports of Milwaukee and Chicago. Today, the wrecks of two lumber hookers lie along the remains of the southern most of those piers, known as Reynolds’ Pier. , The schooner Perry Hannan was driven into Reynolds’ Pier in the “Great Alpena Blow” of October 16, 1880. She lodged in the center of the pier and severely damaged it. The schooner was later hauled alongside the pier and abandoned. , On Sept. 9, 1885, the schooner Cecelia tried to wait out another storm by anchoring safely away from shore. Her anchors dragged, however, and she was blown ashore. Her bow was pushed under Reynolds' Pier, and she sustained extensive damage. Her masts were salvaged, but she was also abandoned. , Reynolds' Pier was built in 1869 for the Jackson-Harris-Reynolds Lumber Company. In 1873, the pier, mill, and other property were bought by Charles Reynolds, brother of one of the original owners. Reynolds became a prominent businessman in Jacksonport, promoting settlement of families, extending credit to farmers, and acting as postmaster for 20 years. , The importance of the Jacksonport piers waned when the lumber business declined around 1920. The piers were used for fishing until ice damaged them in 1938. , Today, wrecks of the Perry Hannah and Cecelia lie alongside the remaining pilings and cribs of Reynolds' Pier. The tops of pilings can often be seen breaking the water's surface.