Harbor Springs in Emmet County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Restoring the Aha
To a Place of Honor
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 24, 2023
1. Restoring the Aha Marker
Click on image to examine the photographs.
Can history be forgotten and then remembered once again? The Aha has a lot to say.
In changing times, the Aha was abandoned and its remarkable history was forgotten. In the 1930s, while being towed to storage, the empty hall took on water and was beached near Sucker Creek. There it became an informal shelter for hunters and fishermen, gathering rust and bullet holes. In 2003, the Aha returned to Harbor Springs to join the Historical Societys collection. In late 2010, it was transported east to Onaway for faithful restoration by students of the Industrial Arts Institute. The story of the Aha is told again in its return to Harbor Springs, to Shay Park, where it was built by Ephraim Shay so many years ago.
Erected 2019 by Harbor Springs Area Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 2003.
Location. 45° 25.835′ N, 84° 59.031′ W. Marker is in Harbor Springs, Michigan, in Emmet County. It can be reached from the intersection of East Main Street and Judd Street, on the left when traveling west. It is in Shay Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Harbor Springs MI 49740, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula and 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 Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles
this page online
More about this marker. This interpretive panel shows five photographs. They are captioned as follows (clockwise from top):
The Aha anchored in a Wequetonsing pond until its weary shell was towed north for storage.
The steel surface of the watercraft, displaying the fine lines of rivets as it was built in the Shay Machine Shop in the 1890s, and bullet holes from the years of its abandonment.
Industrial Arts Institute students working within the hull of the Aha.
The boat held in storage during the restoration work.
The Aha at rest near Sucker Creek
Also see . . . Harbor Springs Area Historical Society bringing the Aha home. 2021 article in the News-Review.
Photographed by J. J. Prats, September 24, 2023
2. The Aha Boat and Its Two Interpretive Panels
This panel is on the right.
The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society owns the Aha and has collaborated with the city of Harbor Springs and the Industrial Arts Institute to bring the ship back to display quality and create an exhibit in Shay Park.(Submitted on May 26, 2024.)
Ephraim Shay designed and built this vessel in his machine shop on the corner of Bay and Judd streets, the site which is now Shay Park. In 1894, the local newspaper reported that Shay had launched the Aha. The article notes that the new vessel is a beauty, will carry twenty people outside and there is sufficient space inside to make up three or four berths when taking a long cruise.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 27, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 26, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 229 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 26, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
