Leelanau County News and Latest Info
A tragic airplane accident.
A 91-year-old mystery.
A sudden tugboat sinking that claimed the life of a crewman.
All of the events are connected to the Rennie Oil dock, Leelanau’s longest-serving commercial marine facility.
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It was called the Traverse Bay Line.
And Leelanau County benefited greatly from it – until the railroad, reaching Northport in 1903 from Traverse City – put it out of business.
The three wooden steamers that comprised the Traverse Bay Line’s fleet in
“You’re so talented – you should be on the stage. It leaves town at seven o’clock.”
The line is an old joke, but in the late 19th century, it wasn’t.
You could catch the seven o’clock stage for Traverse City from Northport – or vice-versa.
Either way
She was the S.S. Idaho, and she called at Northport.
The ship was claimed by a storm in 1897 and all but two of her crew was lost.
It turned out to be the worst loss on the Great Lakes in that otherwise largely uneventful year.
But what is most e
It’s called Heritage Harbor.
Located in Greilickville, immediately south of the beach at the Elmwood Township park (now under renovation), it is home to the replica schooner Madeline and replica sloop Welcome.
That’s why, essentially, the old dock is
“Get out and get under.”
This was a reference to early 20th century automobiles, which, far from being trouble-free, demanded much more of a driver than do today’s.
Some of the early cars almost required the driver be a mechanic as well.
And, eve
The “gales of November” are infamous.
But December, as well as October for that matter, can be just as tempestuous.
Fifty years ago this month on Dec. 15, the M.V. (motor vessel) Bridgebuilder X (No. 10) left Sturgeon Bay, Wis., bound for South Fox Is
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