St. Ignace Downtown History

The dark debris along the shoreline of this sandy beach is actually tree bark that has washed ashore. How did the tree bark get in the water in the first place?

From the 1870's to the mid 1900's, when the lumber industry was huge in Northern Michigan, commercial sawmills lined the shores of this bay. Logging companies used the bay area as a gathering place for logs prior to their processing in those mills. To keep the logs in place, they were chained together in large groups called "booms" (as shown in photo). While awaiting entry into the mills, the water's wave action caused the logs to bounce and rub together. This resulted in the bark being pulled from the logs and sinking to the bottom of the bay, where it continues to wash ashore to this day.

The photo depicts the Schooner Mason on a typical day placing the logs into booms.

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Voyage of Exploration
Structures of Local Native Americans in the 1600's
Michilimackinac Cove
Knights of Columbus Plaque
What's in the Water?
St. Ignace Mission
Two Cultures Meet
Father Marquette Park Kiosk
Grave of Father Marquette
The Huron Longhouse

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