Ships on the Belle River Marine City Michigan Postcard

This photograph taken sometime around 1880 and 1890 shows a number of ships laid up for the winter season on the Belle River. Because of ice on the lakes, the navigation season did not go year round and most boats were laid up for the winter months for maintenance and repair. According to Report of the Chief Engineers of the U.S. Army from 1880, “Marine City is the depot of an extensive tract of fine oak timber suitable for shipbuilding and vessel repairs, and hence ever since there has been any commerce on the Great Lakes has been a favourite place for laying up vessels for the winter, as they could there be berthed and receive necessary repairs at a cheaper rate than at their several ports of hail.” It was estimated that in the winter of 1879-1880, nearly $500,000 of vessel property was berthed there. (From Chapter 2: A Maritime Town: Shipbuilders and Sailors; Images of America: Marine City by Gene Buel and Scott Buel [2011, Arcadia Publishing] (Available here on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1iaQibU )