South Haven in Van Buren County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

A Historic Harbor

Photographed by Joel Seewald, August 13, 2022

1. A Historic Harbor Marker

Inscription.
Steamships offering passenger services were a popular choice for visitors going to South Haven from Chicago. From the late 1800s to the 1940s, ships such as the City of South Haven, the City of Kalamazoo and the Eastland were boarded by hundreds to thousands of passengers for the five to six-hour trip. The fare was $1 round trip, offering three hours of "fishing, boating, and bathing" in the resort town of South Haven. The Chicago and South Haven Steamship Company, which owned all three vessels and more, advertised the South Haven Line as "The Safest Way."

The Michigan Maritime Museum keeps history alive in the South Haven harbor with its fleet of historic and replica boats. Friends Good Will is a replica of an 1810 merchant vessel that was captured by the British, then recaptured by the United States, in the Battle of Lake Erie. Lindy Lou is a replica of a Truscott fantail river launch. Also located at the Michigan Maritime Museum campus is Elsie J, who once operated as a commercial fishing tug boat in South Haven from 1945 to 1976. Today all three of these boats serve as leisure vessels, offering verbal histories

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and hands-on experiences while passengers enjoy scenic cruises on Lake Michigan and the Black River.

Erected 2022 by City of South Haven, Historical Association of South Haven, South Haven Van Buren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kayski Creations. (Marker Number 3.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1810.

Location. 42° 24.385′ N, 86° 16.519′ W. Marker is in South Haven, Michigan, in Van Buren County. It is on Black River Street south of Dyckman Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Marker is in Stanley Johnston Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 202 Dyckman Avenue, South Haven MI 49090, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southwest Michigan

and specifically in one of the Lake Michigan Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest

and on the Great Lakes.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At

Photographed by Joel Seewald, August 13, 2022

2. A Historic Harbor Marker

least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Coastal Crossroads (within shouting distance of this marker); Local Pioneers (within shouting distance of this marker); Commercial Fishing (within shouting distance of this marker); Catskills of the Midwest (within shouting distance of this marker); Evelyn S (within shouting distance of this marker); A Home of Heroes (within shouting distance of this marker); Captains of Industry (within shouting distance of this marker); Time Capsule (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in South Haven.

More about this marker. Marker is part of South Haven's Sesquicentennial Trail

Photographed by Joel Seewald, August 13, 2022

3. A Historic Harbor Marker

Friends Good Will on its way down the Black River to Lake Michigan.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 24, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 24, 2022, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 410 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on August 24, 2022, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.