The St. Clair River has always been an important part of the Great Lakes system. For centuries native people traveled throughout the region in canoes, as did the early French fur traders. In 1679, LaSalle's Griffon was the first sailing ship to pass here. Father Louis Hennepin, the renowned explorer and priest on board that ship, named the river after Sainte Claire. The river's swift currents and other hazards have caused many shipwrecks through the years.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, ships and pleasure boats were built in yards along the St. Clair River from Port Huron south to Algonac. Wooden sailing ships were eventually replaced by steel freighters powered by steam and diesel. During the shipping season, freighters continue to pass here daily, bound for Chicago or Duluth in one direction, or for the Atlantic Ocean and cities all over the world in the other.
Comments 0 comments