Near West Fletcher Street west of Commercial Street, on the left when traveling north.
Shipbuilding forever changed with the transition from wooden hulls to those built of iron and steel. The first iron-hulled freighter on the Great Lakes, the Onoko, debuted in 1881. At 287 feet long, she was a giant of her day. Just five years . . . — — Map (db m122196) HM
On North First Avenue north of Park Place, on the right when traveling north.
Located on the Government Square, City Hall remains one of Alpena’s most prominent structures. In 1904 when the city council chose to construct the building of Bedford (Indiana) limestone rather than local limestone or concrete from Alpena’s . . . — — Map (db m121900) HM
On West Chisholm Street (U.S. 23) south of South Ninth Street, on the right when traveling south.
"Alpena has blazed a new trail in construction," architect William H. Kuni of Detroit declared at the opening of the Alpena County Courthouse on October 21, 1935. Calling it "the first monolithic building erected in a cold climate," Kuni designed . . . — — Map (db m66795) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Commercial Street, on the left when traveling north.
At the time of the U.S. Civil War, thousands of sailing ships worked the Great Lakes. Despite their impressive numbers, these sailing vessels struggled hardly able to keep pace with the enormous demands for bulk cargos generated by America's . . . — — Map (db m122215) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Commercial Street, on the left when traveling north.
Launched in 1891, the Grecian symbolizes an era of unprecedented industrial growth and dramatic changes in technology. Newspapers heralded the steamer and her five sister ships as “fast steel flyers.” A marvel of efficiency at . . . — — Map (db m126625) HM
On Lockwood Street at South Second Avenue, on the left when traveling north on Lockwood Street.
Soon after white settlers came to
the area in 1856, J.K. Miller held
religious gatherings at the home
of Daniel and Sarah Carter. These
meetings evolved into the First
Congregational Church, which was
organized on March 2, 1862, with
the . . . — — Map (db m233605) HM
Near West Fletcher Street north of North 2nd Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
In 1874, the 60-foot wooden harbor tug E.H. Miller began a 45-year career operating out of Alpena, escorting vessels on the Thunder Bay River and assisting those in distress. The tug was not without her own share of mishaps. In her first . . . — — Map (db m122200) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Cedar Street, on the left when traveling north.
The maritime professionals who sail the ships on the Great Lakes are celebrating the 100th anniversary of their fraternal organization, the I. M. S. A. whose purpose is stated in the Association's constitution, "The purpose of this association's . . . — — Map (db m121889) HM
On West Campbell Street east of West Washington Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
In 1916 the Monarch
Milling Company, a grist
and flour mill, began
operations in this
building, which was
constructed in 1914. By
1920 it was known as the
Alpena Flour Mills,
producing “Leader” and
“Velvo” brand flour. The
mill closed in . . . — — Map (db m233604) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Cedar Street, on the left when traveling north.
The screw steamer or "propeller" first appeared on the Great Lakes in the 1840s. These vessels featured wooden hulls and shallow bottoms like early sidewheelers, but their steam engines powered one or more screw propellers at the stern of the ship . . . — — Map (db m121898) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Commercial Street, on the left when traveling north.
For centuries explorers and scientists have researched the Great Lakes. As a vital transportation link to the Midwest and one of the largest sources of fresh water on the planet. Such important resources warranted scientific, charting and survey . . . — — Map (db m122199) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Commercial Street, on the left when traveling north.
Life on the frontier Great Lakes was dangerous when the sidewheeler Vermilion went into service in 1838. In 1842, the 151-foot steamer burned to the waterline, killing several people. A year later, with immigration booming and the economy . . . — — Map (db m122429) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Merchant Street, on the left when traveling north.
Sailing ships first appeared on the Great Lakes when French explorer Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle built the Griffon in 1679. By 1870, over two thousand sailing ships plied the Great Lakes. Most of these sailing ships were . . . — — Map (db m122194) HM
On West Chisholm Street (U.S. 23) south of South 5th Avenue, on the left when traveling north.
In 1861 Bishop Frederic Baraga (1797-1868) trod through snow and icy waters from Sault Ste. Marie to Alpena where he founded a Catholic church. However, it was not until 1866 that Father Patrick Murray became the first resident pastor of the church . . . — — Map (db m121899) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Commercial Street, on the left when traveling north.
Steam power first appeared on the Great Lakes in 1818. The earliest "steamers" were expensive to build and operate. Constructed of wood, the vessels had shallow bottoms and were powered by large sidewheels.
For a time, these "sidewheelers" . . . — — Map (db m121957) HM
On Park Place just north of North 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling north.
In 1856 Daniel Carter, who came to
the Thunder Bay region seeking pine
lands, brought his wife, Sarah, and
daughter Mary to the town of Fremont,
present-day Alpena. They were Alpena’s
first permanent settlers. Daniel participated in the . . . — — Map (db m233610) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Merchant Street, on the left when traveling north.
In November of 1856, George N. Fletcher assisted a survey crew in laying the footprint for the city of Alpena. Appreciative of the area's dense forest and the Thunder Bay River's ability to help transport raw materials, finished products, and fuel, . . . — — Map (db m122228) HM
Near West Fletcher Street at Cedar Street, on the left when traveling north.
The Civil War created an insatiable demand for copper. At a time when Michigan's Upper Peninsula produced the majority of America's supply, vessels like the Pewabic played a critical role in the war effort. On a typical trip between lakes . . . — — Map (db m121896) HM
Near North 1st Avenue north of Water Street, on the right when traveling north. Reported permanently removed.
Located across the river from where you are standing is an area known historically as Alpena's Third Ward. The first dwellings there were erected in 1858 or '59 at the river's edge, while the majority of the land remained woods and swampland. The . . . — — Map (db m121894) HM
Near North 2nd Avenue north of Water Street, on the right when traveling north. Reported permanently removed.
From the time of Alpena's inception it was divided by the Thunder Bay River, although most of the community was centered on the south side. A wooden scow served as a ferry, connecting Second Avenue on the south side with Dock Street on the north; it . . . — — Map (db m121890) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Cedar Street, on the left when traveling north.
The first known fishing camp near Alpena was established on Thunder Bay Island in 1835. By the 1840s, both Thunder Bay Island and nearby Sugar Island served as a base for the area's fishing fleet, comprised entirely of sailing vessels. In 1846, . . . — — Map (db m121897) HM
Near North 7th Avenue north of River Street when traveling north.
From 1858 to 1926, Thunder Bay served as a major center of the Great Lakes lumber trade. Schooners and steamers shipped lumber around the Great Lakes and to eastern cities. Beginning in 1845, Thunder Bay Island also served as a "wooding," or fueling . . . — — Map (db m121895) HM
Near West Fletcher Street west of Merchant Street, on the left when traveling north.
Like other "canallers," the schooner E.B. Allen squeezed through the canals and locks of the Great Lakes. Crews tried to maximize the payload, and thus profits, using every inch of cargo space.
The heavy traffic of thousands of sail and . . . — — Map (db m122198) HM
On North 2nd Avenue north of Water Street, on the right when traveling north.
“By the Treaty of Saginaw, made at Saginaw [Saquina] September 24, 1819, by General Lewis Cass, Governor of the Northwest Territory, on the part of the United States, and the Chippewa Nations, Thunder Bay River became a part of the boundary of the . . . — — Map (db m182328) HM
On Water Street south of North 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
U.S.S. Maine, destroyed in Havana harbor February 15th 1898. This tablet cast from metal recovered from the U.S.S. Maine.
(on the shield) ☆ Patriotism ☆ Devotion ☆
— — Map (db m233608) WM
Near North 1st Avenue north of Water Street when traveling north. Reported permanently removed.
Shipping on the Great Lakes has always been seasonal. The poor visibility, heavy seas and ice that came each year with the gales of November prompted ship owners and captains in the 1800s to "lay up" their ships. Every winter ice choked docks and . . . — — Map (db m121892) HM
On Ford Avenue at Wessel Road, on the right when traveling east on Ford Avenue.
Portland cement, so-called because
it resembles in color stone from
the Isle of Portland, in the British
Isles, was first produced in the
United States in 1871, in Michigan
in 1896. Because of Alpena’s location
in the midst of immense . . . — — Map (db m233611) HM
On East Fletcher Street south of North 2nd Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Launched in 1891, the steel-hulled Grecian was built during an era of unprecedented
industrial growth and dramatic change in shipbuilding technology. Good steel flexes
but doesn’t break upon impact. However in June 1908, when the . . . — — Map (db m236369) HM
On East Fletcher Street south of North 2nd Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Built for speed, the 236-foot steam package freighter Montana
initially carried all types of freight. A typical trip found the
Montana carrying a diverse cargo of 6,000 barrels of flour, 40
tons of copper, 250,000 shingles, 100 . . . — — Map (db m236026) HM
On East Fletcher Street near Ford Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
On Saturday night, November 19, 1966, the Nordmeer was traveling to
Chicago from Hamburg, Germany, with a cargo of 990 coils of steel
destined for Milwaukee. It was the ocean-going vessel’s first freshwater
voyage. The night was clear. . . . — — Map (db m236019) HM
On East Fletcher Street south of North 2nd Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
My name is Abby O’Bryan, I am a Girl Scout with Troop 1033 in Alpena.
I proposed the original idea of a dog park to a member of the City Council and
began the planning process. During the initial stages, I met many others with
common interests . . . — — Map (db m236519) HM
On East Fletcher Street south of North 2nd Avenue, on the right when traveling south.
Thomas Stafford was born in Wexford, Ireland in 1842. After originally immigrating to Canada,
Stafford moved to Alpena where he married Elizabeth McDougall. The couple raised nine children
in Alpena, with many descendants still living in the area . . . — — Map (db m236518) HM
On East Fletcher Street at Ford Avenue, on the right when traveling south on East Fletcher Street.
Shipwreck Alley.
For more than 12,000 years, people have traveled on the Great Lakes. From Native American dugout canoes to wooden sailing craft and steel freighters, thousands of ships have made millions of voyages on the Inland Seas. The . . . — — Map (db m236835) HM
On East Fletcher Street at Ford Avenue, on the right when traveling east on East Fletcher Street.
What is this
NOAA
building?
This building houses
equipment that records Lake
Huron water levels, wind
speed and direction, air and
water temperature,
barometric pressure, and
relative humidity. It was
installed in 2006.
NOAA’s . . . — — Map (db m235924) HM
On Alpena Bi-Path near Water Street and North 2nd Avenue, on the left when traveling south.
Since Alpena’s inception, the Thunder Bay River has bisected the city. Initially, a wooden
scow, pulled back and forth across the river with a rope, served as a ferry and connected
Second Avenue on the south side with Dock Street on the north. In . . . — — Map (db m235868) HM
Located across the river from where you are standing is an area
known historically as Alpena’s Third Ward. The first dwellings
were erected in 1858 or ’59 at the river’s edge, while the majority
of the land remained woods and swampland. In 1867, . . . — — Map (db m235736) HM
On Alpena Bi-Path just north of the end of North 1st Avenue, on the right when traveling east.
Shipping on the Great Lakes has always been seasonal. Poor
visibility, heavy seas and ice that arrive each year with the gales
of November prompted 19th-century ship owners and captains
to “lay up” their ships and take them out of active service . . . — — Map (db m235671) HM
On South 2nd Avenue (Michigan Route 32) near Lockwood Street, on the right when traveling east.
E. P. Austin • Vincent Agius, Jr. • Philip B Emerson • Jack R. Sanborn • David K. Bruning • Ned A. Heath • Rodney Chapman • Gene P. Fussey • Phillip A. Elliott • Bruce E. Hahn • Thomas P. Smith • Donald J. Woloszyk • Frederick J. Wozniak • Luther A. . . . — — Map (db m235658) WM
On Alpena Bi-Path (Michigan Route 32) west of South 11th Avenue and West Campbell Street, on the right when traveling west.
This sculpture series represents the history of industry in Alpena and the surrounding region of Northeast Michigan. It is dedicated to
the people who made livelihoods for themselves, their families and their communities throughout time.
While . . . — — Map (db m235657) HM