Harbor Beach Harbor of Refuge

Harbor Beach Harbor of Refuge. . During the mid 1800s, sailing ships of all sizes transported lumber, iron ore, and copper from Michigan's vast forests and Upper Peninsula mines. The lumber was in demand to build the cities of Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, and other Midwest cities. Ibe copper and iron ore were needed to fuel the growing industrial complex in America's Midwest. , The schooners of the period sailed north from the protected waters of the St. Clair River at Port Huron, but when they reached Saginaw Bay, the prevailing westerly Winds and storms prevented the schooners from crossing the Bay. The ships had to turn around, sail back more than 80 miles to the St. Clair River, and then seek shelter. , After a large number of shipwrecks in the Upper Thumb area, the Federal Government, in 1871, selected Sand Beach (in 1899 Sand Beach was renamed Harbor Beach) as the best location for a new Harbor of Refuge. , Construction of the breakwall began in 1873 with the construction of ten wood cribs, each measuring 38 feet wide by 65 feet long. The cribs were erected on shore, towed into position, and sunk in place with loads of stone, which were gathered along the shore and farm fields by local residents. The stone-filled wood cribs were topped with a heavy timber superstructure. The construction continued for 11 years until the breakwall was completed. , Severe storms continually damaged the wood superstructure; thus, the harbor required annual expensive repairs. In 1904, the wood superstructure was removed and replaced with huge concrete blocks and a poured concrete superstructure., The Harbor Beach Harbor of Refuge is approximately 1 mile wide by 3 miles long, enclosing an area of approximately 650 acres. , The Detroit and Cleveland Steamship Company operated two passenger ships: the City of Mackinaw and the City of Alpena. The ships ran between Detroit and Mackinaw City with scheduled stops at Harbor Beach. The ships carried passengers and freight and also transported livestock in the cargo hold. , In 1987, the main structure of the breakwall was damaged during a fall storm. The waves pounding on the breakwall caused a section, several hundred feet long, to collapse into the harbor. The breakwall was repaired by placing large boulders, some weighing several tons, along the breech. To prevent future damage, stones were placed along both the harbor and lake sides of the entire breakwall., Between 1877 and 1899, 47,460 ships sought shelter in the Harbor of Refuge., Breakwall Statistics , North Breakwall Section……1,500 feet in length , The North Gap….300 feet wide , Main Breakwall Section……4,575 feet in length , The Main Gap….. 600 feet wide , The South Breakwall 1,925 feet wide