History, Art & Culture » Maritime Legacy

Maritime Legacy

Originally surrounded by forests and marshlands, early Bay City residents had little choice but to travel by water. From the first shipyard established along the banks of the Saginaw River in 1856, the increasing demand for boats of all kinds developed into a burgeoning ship building industry.

The shipyards established by Frank Wheeler and James Davidson, were among the biggest on the Great Lakes and constructed some of the largest freighters to transport goods between Great Lakes’ communities. A former principal, Harry Defoe began a new career in ship building in 1905. During World War I, Defoe’s company won a U.S. Navy commission to supply torpedo chasers and mine planters.

The demand for ships during World War II inspired Defoe to develop a revolutionary method of constructing ships. The “Roll-Over” method allowed welders to work easily on a ship’s hull before it was rolled over on an attached frame. Defoe spent the time between the wars building ships that hauled cargo, soldiers, the wealthy and one that carried three American presidents. During the Kennedy administration, that ship was christened The Honey Fitz.

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Kantzler Maritime Gallery

321 Washington Avenue
Bay City, MI 48708
Phone: 989-893-5733

Located on the second floor of the Bay County Historical Museum, the Kantzler Maritime Gallery includes interactive exhibits demonstrating the importance of Bay City’s maritime past to the community, the Great Lakes and the nation. From the unusual lives of Saginaw River Lighthouse keepers to amazing methods of constructing ships, the Gallery tells the tale with scale models, artifacts and one-of-a-kind photographs. A 17-minute video documentary created for the Gallery, "Legends, Logs and Launches" is a journey through time along the banks of the Saginaw River. The Museum is open Monday - Friday, 10:00 a.m. -
5:00 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday, noon - 4:00 p.m.

Maritime Legacy