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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Maritime History Walk

Riverwalk @ Veterans Memorial Park
Bay City, MI

A stroll along the Riverwalk on the Saginaw River's west bank offers a glimpse into Bay City's incredible maritime history. A footbridge crosses a man-made inlet that once launched ships at James Davidson's shipyard. Further down the bank, skeletons of 19th century wooden ships peek out of the Saginaw River where they were burned rather than dismantled so many years ago. The massive rudder from the schooner Sacramento is an awesome reminder of the ingenuity of the Bay City entrepreneurs who built the largest ships to ply the Great Lakes.

Maritime Legacy